Beginnings
by midnight17516
Summary: Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon have been best friends since they were eight. They know everything about each other, except one major secret: He's Robin, Batman's sidekick. As Barbara begins to uncover the secret, he finds it harder to keep it from her. My version of the unknown five years, set nine months after Auld Acquaintance.
1. Friendship

**Author's Note: I didn't like the way this story was originally going, and neither did you guys, so I took it down and I'm starting over from a certain point. The first 5 or so chapters will be the same, then I'm going to switch it up. Some things will stay the same while others change. I hope you all will like the changes that will be coming.**

 **I'm stating this now: This is primarily a Dick/Barbara story. However, there will be other relationships such as Dick/Zatanna and Barbara/OC. It will end with Dick/Barbara, maybe sooner than later ;)**

 **Since the chapters are already written, I'll get them up as quickly as I can. I really hope all of you will like this version better, and I'll get to work rewriting.**

* * *

Barbara Gordon has always been close to Dick Grayson.

They had been close ever since she met him at the police department about six years ago. Ever since, they had been the best of friends. It seemed like where Dick went, she followed. Being raised by a single father who worked all the time, she spent countless nights at Wayne Manor under the watchful eye of Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth.

When Bruce was there, at least.

Dick always made the "sleepovers" fun. Pizzas, movies, games, you name it. She loved spending time with him, and he always found a way to make her smile.

But lately, she had been seeing him less and less.

Alfred told her that Bruce took Dick to work with him a lot, and that Dick would be in touch with her soon. He would text her late at night and apologize for not being there, then come up with some excuse at school the next morning with another apology.

She missed the way things used to be between them.

"Everything ok, Barbara?" her father asked as they pulled into Gotham Academy.

"Just tired, dad."

"Remember that you'll be staying with the manor tonight," he reminded her. "I have to work a double. Alfred will pick you and Dick up after school."

They pulled into the Gotham Academy parking lot, and he turned to her. "Be good tonight, alright?"

She turned her head away, remembering last time she spent the night and how she and Dick accidently broke a priceless heirloom that was in the manor after an innocent game of hide and seek went very wrong.

She can still remember Bruce scolding Dick, and her own father scolding her when he found out.

"You know, I can take care of myself."

"I know," he said softly, squeezing her shoulder. "You're still too young to be home alone, and I feel much better knowing that you're in good hands. Promise me, Barbara."

"I promise, dad."

He leaned over and kissed her head. "I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you, too," she said, before reaching over to grab for her bags. She bid him goodbye before she got out of the car and walked into the school, ignoring all the boys who were eyeballing her.

She had changed a lot over the summer, and she wasn't the only one.

Waiting for her by the entryway was none other than the adopted son of Bruce Wayne himself, Dick Grayson. He had also changed a lot during the summer. He had grown quite a few more inches and, much to her annoyance, almost taller than her already. His shoulders were more broad and defined. The muscles in his arms seemed to be getting bigger as well, not that she has been noticing or anything.

"Babs!" he cried, walking up to her.

"Grayson," she replied, smiling at him.

"Let me help you with that," he said, grabbing for her bag. "Ready for tonight?"

"No."

"What?" he asked in fake shock, flashing her that famous grin that always made her stomach do flips. She walked to her locker and out the bag inside. "You know you have fun."

"Oh, yes, the incredible night of pizza and Disney movies."

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it."

She shook her head, packing her book bag with everything she would need. He leaned up against the locker, crossing his arms as he did so.

"I hear you went out with Bryan the other night."

She scowled, wondering when he would bring that up. "It wasn't much of a date when our dads were there with us."

"You like him," he sang to her, causing her to blush and push his chest.

"Be quiet!"

"You're turning as red as your hair."

"Funny," she replied, rolling her eyes. She closed her locker and glared at his still-grinning face.

"This is our freshman year of high school. We should be having fun!"

The bell rang, and she put her bag across her shoulder. "Gotta go, circus boy."

"Meet you at lunch?"

"Always," she said with a smile, and turned to walk to her class, wondering what Dick might have up his sleeve tonight.

* * *

"Hello, Miss. Gordon," Alfred said, standing outside of the car. Barbara smiled.

"Hi, Alfred."

"We have a houseguest tonight, Alfred," Dick said, walking up beside her.

"And Master Bruce has asked me to keep the strictest eyes on the both of you after what happened last time."

"He worries," Dick replied, shaking his head. "It's not like we _meant_ to break the artifact."

"I really am sorry about that," Barbara replied quietly.

"None of the less, I have my orders and Master Richard you have yours as well."

He groaned, remembering the lecture Bruce gave him before they left this morning.

" _Morning," he said, running into the kitchen. He sat down at the table and quickly dug into his meal, realzing that he was running late and had very little time to eat breakfast._

" _You're late."_

" _I know," he replied, turning his head away._

" _We need to talk about tonight."_

 _Dick groaned, knowing that this was coming. "What about tonight?"_

" _If anything else gets broken around here, you're grounded for a month."_

" _We won't break anything."_

 _Bruce gave him "the look", and he turned away, knowing that his guardian didn't trust him._

" _Say it back."_

" _If anything gets broken, I'm grounded."_

" _Glad I made that clear. Now, I'm off to work, and you better be finishing up that breakfast before you're late to school."_

"Are you going to get in the car?" Barbara asked, snapping him back to reality.

"Huh?"

"He's walking home, Alfred," she said with a grin. He shook his head and slid in next to her.

"Be quiet, Gordon."

His phone buzzed in his pants, and he took it out, his brow furrowing in confusion as he saw who the text was from.

 _Dick! Where have you been? You haven't been to MJ all week!_

MJ.

Mount Justice.

 _I've been really busy here, Wally. I'll get in touch as soon as I can._

"Everything ok?" Barbara asked, watching as he put his phone back into his pocket.

' _Yeah, everything's great. I'm living a double life as Robin who not only assists Batman, but also assists the team at Mount Justice while still trying to balance a normal life with my best friend who has no idea.'_

"Everything's fine," he replied with a smile, turning his head to look out the window.

They remained quiet until they arrived back at the manor. He helped her out of the car before grabbing their bags, putting them into the informal living room.

"I'm assuming you'd want your usual pizza dinner?" Alfred asked.

"Wouldn't be a party without it."

"I trust I can leave to do other things."

"You can," Dick replied with a grin. He gave him a stern look before turning to walk away.

"You keep Alfred and Bruce on their feet, don't you?"

"Got to find some way to keep things interesting around here."

"I believe you find too many things _interesting_ around here."

"I don't believe that includes you anymore."

She gave him a playful pout. "Whatever will I do without be able to play with the famous Wayne boy?"

He threw his head back, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling as he let out a laugh. She was unable to stop herself from smiling.

"Your life would be boring without me."

"You wish," she said, pushing him.

"You want to go, Gordon?"

"Bring it on, Grayson," she replied with a grin.

He threw himself at her, and they fell to the floor, rolling around while trying to wrestle with one another. After a few minutes he had her pinned underneath him, grinning down at her while she struggled to get away from him.

"You're tiny! How are you this strong?"

"I work out," he replied, taking off his jacket to show her his muscles. She rolled her eyes, more so of trying to _not_ focus on his muscles.

Towering over her, his blue eyes shun into her own, and she was unable to turn away. His eyes were shining bright, and she moved her eyes down to look at his chest, seeing how much puberty had affected him.

"Dick?" a voice called out, and he quickly rolled off of her and helped her up. Bruce appeared in the living room, still dressed in his suit, and eyed them, as though determining something in his mind.

"Hello, Bruce," Barbara said, unable to look at him.

"Hello, Barbara. Everything going ok?"

"Other than your squirt of a son driving me up the wall, everything is great."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, pushing her slightly. "I'm a delight."

"Glad to hear that. Do you mind if I steal Dick for a minute?"

She nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Dick nodded, and watched as she grabbed her book bag and disappeared down the hall. Bruce waited until she got out of range before turning to his young charge.

"There's an emergency and I need to go. You need to stay here with Barbara."

"Are you sure you won't need my help? What about the team?"

"This is just a Justice League mission only."

"Is it about the missing sixteen hours?"

"I'm not sure. Superman has called it and I need to be there. Stay here, do you understand?"

"Yes, Bruce."

"Tell Barbara I said I'm sorry."

He nodded, and watched as Bruce turned and walked away. Dick let out another sigh, getting annoyed that Bruce had yet to find a mission for he and his friends to complete. He grabbed his book bag and joined Barbara in the kitchen.

"Bruce sends his apologies, but he's not joining us for dinner tonight."

"It's ok."

"Whenever you're hungry, I'll order the pizza."

"That sounds great," she replied with a smile, closing her textbook. She then gave him a look, and his stomach turned. "Hey, why does Bruce disappear a lot? Is it his work?"

Dick nodded. "He's very busy."

"It must get lonely around here sometimes."

He shrugged, turning to look away from her. "I find ways to entertain myself."

"Like how?"

"Follow me," he said, standing up. She threw him a confused look before following him to the other side of the manor and to the gym.

"You keep yourself busy by working out?"

"Wait here," he said, before disappearing behind the bathroom door. He came out a minute later dressed in workout clothes. He then winked at her before he grabbed onto the two rings and did flips.

She couldn't turn away as his muscles flexed with every movement.

"What do you think, Babs?"

"This is unnatural," she replied, watching in fascination as he body turned every way imaginable. He laughed.

"Circus boy, remember?" he replied with a grin. "You wouldn't believe the things I did when I was in the circus."

"I wish I could have seen you," she said softly, watching as he let go of the rings and flipped in the air, landing gracefully on the ground.

"Didn't you used to be in gymnastics?"

"Used to be. Why?"

"You try," he said, gesturing towards the rings.

She hesitated for a minute before saying, "Let me get changed."

He nodded, and she grabbed for her bag and changed into her workout clothes. She then rejoined him and stopped dead in her tracks as she saw him lifting weights.

"Ready," she finally said, turning away from him. She walked over to the rings and pulled herself up, struggling at first before getting into the swing of it. After a minute she was able to do a flip before landing hard on the floor.

"Barbara!" he cried, running up to her. He helped her to her feet. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her arm before grinning. "My landing was a little rough."

"We might just have to work on that."

"Yeah," she said softly, unable to stop staring into his blue eyes.

"What's the matter, Gordon?" he asked, and she couldn't help but notice the change of voice.

"I'm thinking of ways of how I could kick your butt."

"You wish."

"I could," she replied, and he almost smiled by the fire burning behind her eyes.

* * *

"I love this movie," Barbara said, grabbing a handful of popcorn. Dick finished the last bite of his pizza before throwing his plate onto the coffee table.

"It's one of my favorites," he replied, picking up the Van Helsing movie box.

Her cell phone started going off, and he paused the movie so she could answer it.

"Hi, dad." She waited. "No, it's going great here. I'm having a lot of fun."

Dick took a moment to look at his phone. _Are you coming to MJ tonight? We're all a little worried about you._

 _ **Not tonight. I'll come tomorrow.**_

"I love you, too, dad. See you tomorrow morning."

She hung up, and he put his phone away. "Sorry. My dad likes to check up on me a lot."

"It must worry him, you not being in his sight."

"He used to take me to the police department and I would sit in his office and do whatever I could to keep my busy. It got really boring, especially when he started working with Batman. He was always away. Then you came along, and he and Bruce decided it would be better for me to come here instead."

He lowered his eyes, wondering if he should even ask the question. "Can I ask you about your mom?"

She looked away, and he instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"No, it's ok," she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. "I don't like talking about it. She left us."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. She left shortly before you lost your parents. Dad was struggling trying to raise me alone and work all the time."

She looked away, and he reached over to grab for her hand. "Neither one of us have had the best life, huh?"

She laughed. "I guess not."

"You know you're always welcome here."

"I feel honored," she replied, taking a sip of her water.

* * *

"Time for bed," Alfred said a few hours later, walking into the informal living room. "The guest room is all set up for you, Miss. Gordon."

"Thank you."

"C'mon, Alfred," Dick begged. "Can we please stay up late?"

Alfred hesitated before saying, "One more hour."

"Thank you."

He nodded, and turned to walk out of the room. Dick grinned at her.

"Alfred really cares for you."

"He and Bruce take good care of me."

"Is he still not back yet? Shouldn't you be worried?"

"Nah. He'll be back soon, and we better be in bed before he is."

She immediately noticed his nonchalance, but decided against calling him out for it. She played with her pajama shirt.

"What?" he asked softly.

"I'm exhausted," she said with a small laugh.

"Something else is bothering you."

"Where have you been lately? I come by and Alfred says you're not here."

"I sometimes go with Bruce to the office."

She stared at him, and he immediately knew that she didn't believe him.

"Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not lying!"

"You're not telling the truth, either! Why won't you tell me where you're going?"

"It's not your business!" he hissed.

She looked away, and he instantly regretted his tone towards her.

"Barbara, I-"

"I'm tired," she whispered. "I'm going to bed."

She moved past him and ran upstairs. He let out a groan as he kicked the coffee table, mad at himself for letting this happen. He then cleaned up the living room and retreated to his room, hoping to fall asleep but knowing that he wouldn't.

' _I'm sorry, Barbara.'_ He thought, moving to look out the window. After a few minutes he turned to walk back out of his bedroom and down the stairs, stopping at the clock to the cave entrance. He changed the time, and it opened, revealing the rounding staircase. He slowly moved downstairs, spotting Bruce and Alfred by the computer.

"Master Richard! Where is Miss. Gordon?"

"She's in her room."

"What happened?" Bruce asked, refusing to turn around. Dick mentally groaned. It really was hard living with the world's greatest detective.

"She's mad at me."

"For?"

"Lying to her."

"About what?"

"Everything. I want to tell Barbara I'm Robin."

"No," Bruce said firmly, finally turning around in his chair. "I told you not to tell anyone."

"Wally knows."

"He figured it out, and he will be the only one. Including Barbara in this is something I am forbidding."

"Bruce, she suspects something. It's getting harder to lie to her, nor am I finding the ambition to anymore."

Bruce sighed. "I know this is a lot to put on you, but you know why I require you to remain hidden, even to the team. Barbara-she is one of the brightest children I have ever met. She may be putting pieces together, but you have to try to get her off your trail. Whatever it takes. If she finds out, it puts her in danger. Her father would never forgive me if something happened to her, and I would never forgive myself. I don't want that put on you, either."

"She's my best friend, and all I ever do is lie to her."

He let out a frustrated sigh as he turned and walked away from Bruce. A moment of silence fell before Alfred turned to Bruce.

"Would it really be a bad thing for him to tell her?"

"I'm not putting her in danger like that," Bruce said, returning to the monitor.

"Not to point out the obvious, sir, but does it seem to you that Master Richard and Miss. Gordon are getting a lot closer lately?"

"I've noticed. You believe that's why he wants to tell her?"

"I think it might be a pretty good reason."

Bruce closed his eyes, rubbing his face as he did so. "Go to bed, Alfred. I'm going on patrol."

"As you wish, sir," he said, before turning to exit the cave. As soon as he was out of shot Bruce dropped his head, still in disbelief that Dick would be turning fifteen in two weeks.

" _I'm taking him in, Alfred."_

 _Alfred looked at him in shock. "You plan on adopting him?"_

" _I had you to help me through my parent's murders," he said, watching Dick through the glass. "He has no one. He'll spend the rest of his childhood in this building."_

" _It's a major responsibility to raise a child," Alfred began. "Things would have to change."_

" _I understand that," Bruce replied softly, "but I also know that he needs someone, someone who knows what he's going through. I had you to help me through it. He has no one. I can't let him go through this alone."_

 _He watched as one of the employees walked up to Dick before taking him out of the room._

" _With you and I raising him, he won't turn out like me, Alfred. He'll be better. We're going to make sure of it."_

 _Alfred nodded his head in agreement. "This will be good for you, too, sir."_

He turned the cameras on and immediately spotted two children talking on the stairwell. Rubbing his face again, he sat in his chair and watched, knowing exactly what Alfred was referring to as Dick wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He then put his cowl back on and got into the Batmobile.

* * *

Dick made sure the clock was back in its place before he slowly descended up the staircase, spotting Barbara at the top as she was about to walk back down.

"Hi."

"Barbara? What are you doing up?"

"I can't sleep," she said quietly, tucking a piece of her hair back behind her ear.

"That makes two of us," he replied with a laugh. "Bad dream?"

"Something like that."

He sat down on the step and patted the seat next to him. She hesitated for a minute before sitting down next to him.

"Still mad at me?"

"A little, but I guess I'm overreacting. I just-I miss you, Dick. I feel like I don't see you that much anymore."

He rubbed the back of his neck. Since they had formed the team at Mount Justice, he had been busier and had less time to see her. In fact, this is the first time he's seen her outside of school in quite a while.

He knew what he had to do.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, turning to face her. "I'm not forgetting you, if that's what you're thinking. You'll always be my best friend, Babs. I'll never forget the redhead who let me cry on her that night in the police department."

He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a one-arm hug. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

" _Daddy?" Barbara asked, spotting a boy with black hair sitting on the bench. "Who is that?"_

" _His name is Dick," Jim said, squatting down next to her._

" _Why is he sad?"_

" _Because something very bad just happened to him."_

" _Gordon!"_

" _Stay here, Barbara," he ordered, before turning to the detective._

 _She continued to stare at the boy named Dick, and, before she knew it, she was standing in front of him. He looked up at her, and she noticed that he had been crying._

" _Hi, Dick. My name is Barbara."_

" _H-hi," he stuttered, wiping his face. She sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him, trying not to cry herself when he started to cry on her again._

"Your birthday is in a few weeks," she said, snapping back to reality. "What do you want?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

She rolled her eyes. "You're no help."

"You coming to my party?"

"Of course. Will it be as extravagant as last year?"

"Better," he replied with a grin.

His hand moved up and down her arm, and she shivered. She closed her eyes again, and he turned to look at her.

"Maybe you should go back to bed," he whispered, and she nodded. They both stood up, said goodnight and went off to their respective rooms.

* * *

 _Recognize: Robin, B01_

"Rob! About time you got here!"

"Wally," he replied dully, stepping out of the zeta tube. Wally narrowed his eyes at him.

"Something wrong?"

"No," he replied, putting his gym bag onto the floor. "Do you want to spar with me?"

"Sure," he said, still eyeing his friend. He quickly changed and was back in a matter of seconds. "On your mark."

Robin got into stance, trying to ignore Wally's look. "Mark."

He took a shot at him, and another when moved out of the way. Wally sped past him and took a shot, causing Robin to groan. He stopped running and looked at his best friend.

"Something is bothering you."

"No, it's not," Rob replied, getting into stance again. Wally walked over and put his arms down.

"I have known you for far too long. I know who you _really_ are. I know when you're upset. Talk to me, Dick. What's going on?"

"Don't use my name in here, Kid Mouth," he hissed, looking around.

"Fine. Now, seriously, what is it?" he thought for a minute before grinning. "Is it Barbara?"

"No," he growled, taking a shot at Wally. It was blocked, and Wally grinned.

"It is!"

"Shut up!" he hissed again, taking another shot.

"Robin like Barbara, does he?"

"She's my friend, and I'm dating Zatanna. You know that."

"Sure thing," he replied, rolling his eyes. "So, what's the deal?"

"I want to tell her I'm Robin, and Batman won't let me."

"Big step."

"I hate lying to her," Robin admitted with a sigh.

Wally pressed his lips together. "It's really bothering you, isn't it?"

Robin didn't say anything. That was Wally's answer.

"I know it is. You're one of the best fighters I know, and you're missing every shot. It's distracting you."

"Robin!" Zatanna said, rushing into the room. She kissed his cheek. "When did you get here?"

"Hi, Zatanna. Not too long ago."

"Wally," Artemis said, walking up to him.

"Hey, babe," he replied, giving her a kiss. "Where's everyone else?"

"Well, Kaldur returned to Atlantis, and M'gann and Connor are, well, busy."

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Zatanna asked.

Robin was just about to speak, but his communicator went off. He groaned before putting his finger up to his ear. "Robin."

"Get back to Gotham," Bruce's voice echoed in his ear. That was all he said.

"I have to leave."

"You just got here," Zatanna said, with a disappointed look on her face.

"I'm sorry, but Batman's calling me."

"Better hurry, then," Artemis said.

He went to change into his uniform before returning. He gave Zatanna a quick kiss, lingering a little longer than necessary, before saying goodbye to Wally and Artemis.

"Rob," Wally said, stopping him just before he stepped into the zeta tube, "You know you and I have a habit of bending the rules. That's how this team got started."

He stared at him for a minute before smiling. "Thanks, K.F."

"Better go," he said, clapping his shoulder. Robin stepped into the zeta tube before reappearing in Gotham City.

* * *

"I'm going for a walk, dad," Barbara said, collecting the trash from the barrel.

"It's too late now. Take the trash down and come back up here."

She nodded before she put her shoes on and walked out of the building, throwing the trash into the dumpster as she did so. She was about to turn back to the sidewalk when something caught her eye.

"Hi, pretty," a man said, appearing out of the shadows.

"Hi," she said dully, trying to get back to her apartment building. He grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back, grinning at her.

"What's the rush? We haven't gotten to meet each other yet."

"Get away from me!" she screamed, using her other arm to attempt to get away. He blocked it with his body and wrapped his free hand around her throat.

"Better play nice," he hissed, and her vision was beginning to go in and out as she struggled to breathe.

Next thing she knew, her teenage attacker had been attacked himself.

She fell to the ground, coughing as she struggled to breathe again. Her vision still disoriented, she couldn't see her savior, but she could hear them struggling.

When her vision finally returned, she saw the attacker was unconscious, and her savior was…a child who looked like he was twelve or thirteen.

All she could make out was black hair and a red hoodie. It wasn't until her father helped her up that she noticed he was gone, and was beginning to wonder if he had even been there at all.

"Are you ok?" Jim asked in worry.

"I'm fine."

She looked up to notice that Robin was staring down at her, and she could almost swear he had an angry expression on his face before he vanished.


	2. Revelation

' _She could have been killed,'_ Dick thought, strapping on the gloves. He then turned to the bag and started punching, letting his mind go as he focused on the bag being Barbara's attacker. _'She could have been killed.'_

He continued to punch the bag, letting more of his anger out as he did so. Minutes. Hours. He had no idea how much time has passed, nor did he care. He was finding a good way to let his anger out.

"Dick?" Bruce asked, stepping into the gym. Dick punched the bag again. "Watch it, kid. You'll break the bag."

"Barbara was attacked!" he nearly screamed, punching the bag as hard as he could. Bruce grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"What do you mean?"

"Someone attacked her when she took the trash out."

"How do you know this?"

"I had just returned from the cave, and I was on my way to you when I heard her scream. When I got there, someone was attacking the attacker. A kid, actually. When he saw me he ran off, and Jim showed up."

Bruce eyed him, as though he didn't believe his story. "Is she ok?"

"She's fine."

"Redirecting your anger is always the best strategy," Bruce said, putting gloves on. "If you let your anger control you, there's no telling what could happen."

"She could have been killed," Dick said, staring at the wall ahead of him. "She could have been killed and I didn't even save her. A random kid did."

Bruce held his hands up, and Dick took shots, screaming out in anger as he did so. After a few minutes he calmed down and fell to his knees, letting out several deep breaths as he did so.

"Dick, what happened to Barbara is not your fault. There are very bad people living on the streets."

"I should have saved her," he whispered darkly.

"She's safe. She's at home with her father. Do not let this consume you."

He let out a deep breath. Taking another shot at the gloves, he fell to his knees.

"Look at me," Bruce said, and Dick looked up. "Barbara is safe. That's all that matters. Do not be mad at yourself. Now suit up."

He nodded before taking the gloves off. He followed Bruce down to the Batcave and quickly changed before jumping into the Batmobile.

As soon as they did, the batsignal lit up the sky.

They sped off towards GCPD. Arriving outside of the precinct, they immediately got out their grapnel guns and flew up to the top of the building, spotting Commissioner Gordon as they did so.

"Jim," Batman said, as he and Robin walked up to the signal.

"Batman, Robin."

"I heard what happened to Barbara. Is she ok?"

"She's alright," he replied dully, looking out over the city. "How'd you find out?"

"Robin. He was on his way to find me when he heard her. He's not the one that saved her, though."

"No, he's not. A street kid did. When he saw me, he ran away. He looked familiar, too, but I can't put my finger on it." He growled and turned away from the railing. "It happened right outside of our apartment!"

"Do you know his name?" Robin asked, and Batman placed his hand on his shoulder. A silent order to be quiet.

"I don't. Like I said, he looked familiar. Maybe I busted him for something one day."

"Don't blame yourself for this, Jim. It could have happened to anyone."

He shook his head before turning back to the signal. "That's not why I've called you here. I need you to look into something for me."

"What is it?"

"Two-Face may be hitting up more banks tonight at eleven. I'm not for certain, but this is the intel we have on it so far."

He took the file and looked through it. "We'll get on it."

"Thanks."

"Where is Barbara now?" Batman asked.

"In my office. She fell asleep on the couch in there."

"Go back to her. I'll call you if we find anything out."

He nodded, before turning to the stairway door and disappearing. Batman turned to Robin.

"Stakeout tonight?"

"This says he may be hitting up Gotham National around eleven. Let's get moving."

They climbed down from the GCPD building and got into the Batmobile. They remained silent until they arrived a few blocks from the bank, and grappled on top of the building opposite it.

"Use your binoculars," Batman ordered, before crouching down. Robin pulled his out before crouching down as well.

His attention focused to Barbara. He wondered how she was doing and if she was scared and-

"Movement," Batman said, and they both stood up. They quietly grappled over to the next building and waited for the intruders to enter the bank before following after them, grappling up top as soon as they were in the building.

"Two-Face said to clean everything out boys!" one of the men laughed. Robin looked over to Batman, who issued commands with his hands, before jumping down behind one of the men and quietly taking him out. Grappling up again, he looked for another opening, watching as Batman took out two men. Finding an opening, he jumped behind the man, intending to take him down.

"Bad mistake, kid," Two-Face said, turning around. He pulled out his gun.

"Stand down, Dent."

He got some shots off, growling in frustration as Robin managed to move around and avoid all of them. He kicked the gun out of Dent's hand before landing on his feet.

"You've got moves. So do I," he replied, before he fell to his knees. Robin looked up to find Batman standing there.

"You're going back to Arkham."

"Arkham can't hold me," Dent replied, glaring at him.

"Be quiet," Robin ordered, and the sound of sirens outside drew their attention. Batman handcuffed Dent before they grappled up to the ceiling, watching as the police stormed the building.

"You're letting your anger get the best of you," Batman said sometime later, as they drove back to the Batcave.

"Like you haven't before?"

"You're mad about Barbara. I thought we worked through this already."

Robin didn't say anything, but chose to continue staring out the window.

"You care for her."

"She's my best friend. Of course I do."

They pulled into the cave, and Dick immediately stepped out. He changed his suit before storming out of the cave, leaving Bruce and Alfred behind.

"What is the matter with Master Richard?"

"He's letting feeling cloud his judgement."

"Barbara again, I'm guessing?"

Bruce removed his cowl. "He's going to let this eat at him."

"He'll come to realize that it wasn't his fault. He just needs time."

* * *

"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked, speeding up to Batman. Robin pressed his hand to his face.

"I do." The keyboard appeared in front of him. "Green Arrow and Black Canary were on patrol in Star City when they discovered a warehouse that possibly contained equipment belonging to the light. When they attempted to investigate, they were severely injured and had no choice but to retreat. I need your team to figure out what they could be storing in there. Because two leaguers have been injured already, this is strictly a covert mission. Find out any intel that you can, and report back to us. Aqualad is busy on assignment with Aquaman, so Robin, you're in charge of this mission."

Robin looked up at his mentor, and the look on Batman's face immediately silenced any argument. He nodded and looked away.

"Minimalize radio contact. With everything that has happened, we have no idea what the light could be using to track us now."

"Yes, sir," they said. He gave them all a look before turning to walk down the hall.

"So, leader," Wally said, sliding up next to Robin, "when do we leave?"

"Sundown. They probably know that G.A. and B.C. are injured and will be wanting to work in the dark. For the time being, there's no one protecting Star."

"Do you believe there's more of these hideouts?" Zatanna asked.

"Could be. That's something else we'll have to figure. There's a very good chance they may have moved locations as well."

"So we investigate and determine if they have more or if they've moved," Artemis said, filling up her quiver.

"Sounds like fun, babe," Wally said, flashing her a grin. Robin slapped his hand to his head, ignoring the look Zatanna was throwing at him.

"Robin, what intel does Batman have on this?" M'gann asked.

He held his arm up and opened the intel Batman had sent him. "Nothing much. G.A. and B.C. were able to collect that LexCorp may somehow be involved."

"Shocking," Connor said.

"Execute at sundown," Robin said, closing the gauntlet. Everyone nodded and separated, but Zatanna lagged behind. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, us."

"What about us?" he asked, checking his belt.

"Where have you been?"

"In Gotham. Where I live."

"You haven't been here much lately, and when you have been you've barely talked to me. I feel like I don't even have a boyfriend anymore."

He sighed, putting the smoke bombs back into his belt. "I'm sorry. I should pay more attention to you."

"I just want to know what's going on with you."

He stared at her for a minute before pressing their lips together. She wrapped her arms around his neck while his hands rested on her waist.

' _I just miss you,'_ Barbara's voice echoed in his voice.

He broke away abruptly, and she held a look of disappointment on her face.

"Did I do something?"

"No," he said quickly. "I've just been distracted lately."

She wrapped her arms around herself, and he turned his head away.

"Robin, weren't not working out, are we?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not involved in this relationship as much as I am. It almost seems like you don't want to be in it."

"I do want to be in this relationship, Z," he said softly, placing his hands on her arms. "I really like you."

She pressed her lips together. "You really like someone, but it's not me."

She strode past him and to her room. He dropped his head, not even seeing Wally give his friend a sad look before walking up to him.

"I'm sorry, man."

"It's ok."

"Do you think you'll work it out?"

He shrugged, wishing Wally would drop it. "I'll give her some time, then we'll talk."

"Well," Wally said, taking off his jacket, "If you need any advice, you know I'm here."

"Sureeee," Robin said slowly, grinning at his friend. "Been dating Artemis for, what, nine months and think you're an expert?"

"I'd like to think so."

He rolled his eyes, which was impossible to see with his domino mask on.

"Question: does she even know your real name?"

"No," Robin said, letting out a deep breath. Wally clicked his tongue.

"Is that because of Batman's orders, or because you're not invested in the relationship?"

Robin didn't say anything, but turned to walk down the hall. He found himself outside of Zatanna's room and raised his hand, hesitating before he started to knock.

"Come in."

"Can we talk?" he asked, closing the door behind him. She shrugged.

"I guess so."

"I know I've been ignoring you. Ever since Batman went missing, he and I have been investigating around the clock to try to figure it out. It's been hard to balance a normal life between my superhero life, and that includes you, Z."

She turned her head away. "We've been dating for, what, almost eight months? We've barely gone anywhere, Robin. I don't even know your real name! I've told you everything about me, and I barely know you."

He bit his cheek before he turned away. "You know Batman would kill me if I revealed anything."

"Wally knows."

"He figured it out, and trust me when I say this, you don't want to. Wally got the lecture of a lifetime. He's never forgotten it."

"I kissed you on New Year's," she started, and he finally looked up to see her. "I wanted to have a relationship with you. Even then, you took two months to ask me out. Something is holding you back, and it's holding us back."

He stared at her, his heart breaking at the amount of hurt he's caused. He reached over and grabbed for her hands.

"I really care for you, Z. You have no idea how much I care for you. It took me so long to ask you out because I was afraid to. I was afraid of ruining our friendship, even though you had kissed me. If it wasn't for Batman holding me back, I would tell you everything, but he's my mentor and I have to follow orders. You have to understand that for me."

"You didn't follow orders when you started this team," she said, her eyes watering. He let out a deep breath, somewhat impressed that she threw that in his face. "I care for you a lot, too, Robin, but…."

She looked away, and he immediately knew what was coming. "This is over, isn't it?"

"You're in love with someone else," she said, wiping her eyes. "I can't be with someone who loves someone else."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. He gently placed his hands on her face before leaning in to capture their lips together. She pulled back, wiping her face again.

"Maybe sometime down the road, we can try this again?" he whispered, and she nodded.

"Maybe, but not now. Goodbye, Robin."

He stood up and walked out of her room. The door closed behind him, and he pressed his back against the wall, angry with himself for ruining his first real relationship.

* * *

"Where's Zatanna?" Artemis asked, looking around.

"She's not coming," Robin said, going through the intel again.

"Why?" M'gann asked.

"She's just not. Let's drop it," he said again, strapping himself to the chair. Everyone on the team looked at each other before the bioship took off towards Star City. They remained quiet, occasionally looking over at Robin, before landing down in the drop zone.

"Oh, great leader, now what?" Wally said, looking over at Robin.

"Split off into two teams. M'gann, Connor, and Rocket will be on lookout south of the building. Wally, Artemis and I will lookout north of the building. This is covert only, so we are gathering intel. We need to determine if this building is holding equipment the light is using, and if there's more or it's been moved."

"If Green Arrow and Black Canary figured it out, do you think they will have moved?" Rocket asked.

"That's what we're here to find out," Robin said. "Let's move."

He followed Wally and Artemis to the north end of the building. Crouching down behind the shrubbery, he pulled his binoculars out and studied the building.

"So, Rob, you and Zatanna are done?" Wally asked, and Artemis punched his arm. "Ow!"

"That's rude, Wally. Their lives are not our business."

"It's fine, Artemis," Robin said, not taking his focus away from the building. "She ended it."

"I'm sorry, Rob," she said sadly, squeezing his shoulder.

He nodded, not wanting to talk about his failed relationship. They remained quiet as they continued to stare at the building, waiting for any signs of movement coming from inside.

" _Nothing on our side,'_ M'gann's voice called through the mind link.

" _ **Ours, either,"**_ Robin replied, putting his binoculars down.

" _What do we now?"_ Rocket asked.

" _ **Wait, I have something,"**_ Connor said. _**"Someone's coming out."**_

" _Who is it?"_ Artemis asked.

" _ **Looks like a LexCorp employee."**_

" _Batman figured that, but that's not proof that there's equipment in there."_

" _ **Rob, we might have to infiltrate,"**_ Wally said, looking over at him.

" _It's covert only."_

" _ **We've been spotted!"**_ M'gann cried out. They immediately stood up and ran down to their teammates, noticing that they were being fired at. Robin took out two batarangs and fired them at the guns, causing them to be knocked out of the enemies hands. Artemis fired two arrows, watching as they wrapped around the two men and tied them up.

"Nice shot," Wally said, grinning at her.

"You alright?" Robin asked, watching as Connor helped M'gann up.

"We're fine."

"They're going to know we're here now. Might as well head inside."

"Agreed. Let's move."

They quietly walked inside, looking around the building. Connor let out an angry cry.

The place was empty.

"Why would they still be guarding this place if it's empty?" Rocket thought out loud, looking around.

"Because they knew we'd show up," Robin said, pulling batarangs out. They turned around, ready for a fight, only to find it empty.

"Something doesn't feel right," Artemis said, lowering her bow.

"I agree," Robin said, looking around. He turned his detective vision on, and his heart skipped a beat. "EVERYONE OUT!"

They quickly ran out of the building right before the explosives went off. They ran outside, just barely escaping, before looking at the destroyed ruins.

"Destroying evidence before we can collect any," Wally said angrily.

"We need to get out of here," Artemis said, and they returned to the bioship.

Nothing was going Robin's way today.

He dreaded telling Batman the news the whole way home. Would he be angry with him for failing the mission? Would he get another lecture?

He really wasn't up for another lecture.

They landed back at Mount Justice and saw Batman waiting for them, skimming through files. Robin swallowed before he walked up to him.

"What'd you find out?"

"They moved, but they blew up the building before we could collect anything."

He continued browsing through the files. They all waited for him to say something-anything-before he finally spoke.

"Good work."

Robin's brow furrowed in confusion. "But we failed. We didn't get any intel."

"You discovered that they've moved locations, which means they were hiding something in there. It's now up to your team to figure out what that is, and where they may have moved it. In the meantime, hit the showers and rest up."

They nodded before turning opposite directions. Batman called for Robin, who waited.

"We need to get back to Gotham."

He nodded, before following Batman through the zeta tubes. They arrived back Gotham, and he called for the Batmobile, watching as it appeared in front of them.

"Basic patrol tonight," he said, as they climbed into the car.

"Got it," Robin replied, staring out the windshield. They sat in uncomfortable silence as they listened to the police scanner, waiting for something to pop up.

He just now realized that his birthday party was tomorrow.

* * *

Dick stared at himself in the mirror, smoothing out his hair as he did so. He knew downstairs the party was underway, and that he should be getting there soon.

Taking one last look in the mirror, he let out a deep breath before walking out of his room. He walked down the stairs and to the ballroom, looking around at the crowd of his fellow schoolmates already dancing to the music.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone screamed out when he entered the room. He smiled.

"Thank you," he said. "Now let's get this party started!"

He hated acting this way. The rich son of playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne, and he knew Bruce hated acting that way. They had to, though. They both had appearances to keep up.

So he plays along. He's the spoiled rich kid.

"Happy birthday!" Barbara said, giving him a hug.

"Thank you."

"You're finally fifteen," she said, squeezing his cheek. He rolled his eyes. "My wittle friend isn't so little anymore."

"Go away," he said, swapping her hand away.

"I thought you wanted me here."

"Wouldn't be a party without you," he replied with a grin.

"You must be Barbara," a voice said. They turned around, and Dick held back a groan.

"And you are?"

"Wally," he said, grabbing hold of her hand. "Wally West."

"Barbara, this is Wally. He's a close friend of mine."

"It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, kissing her hand.

"You don't go to our school, do you?"

"Barbara, let me get you some punch. Wally, come with me?"

"I'm good here."

"Now," he said, and Wally rolled his eyes. They walked over to the drink bar.

"So that's the famous Barbara," he said, eyeing her. "She's pretty."

"You have a girlfriend," Dick hissed, giving him a look.

"Relax. I'm not going to hit on her."

"She has no idea about any of this. If she asks, I knew you from my circus days."

"I thought you were tired of lying to her."

"Of course I am," he replied with a sigh. "I don't have a choice. Please do this for me."

"Of course," he said, clapping his shoulder.

"Thanks for coming."

"I wouldn't miss my best friend's birthday party. I hear _Wayne's_ parties are the best, and I really enjoyed your last two. By the way, Artemis is back at M.J. getting a surprise party ready for you."

"She's what?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Wally!"

"What? It's your birthday!"

"Secret identity!" he hissed.

"Oh, sorry," he replied, and Dick smacked his hand against his head.

"You deal with Bruce if they figure it out."

Wally shivered before they walked back over to Barbara, and Dick gave her a cup of punch.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile.

"So you're the famous Barbara Dick always talks about," Wally said, taking a seat next to her. Dick glared at him while Barbara smiled.

"You like to talk about me?"

"I might have mentioned that I have a friend named Barbara."

"Oh, Richard!" two girls cried, rushing over to him. Wally grinned at him.

"Hello, ladies," Dick replied smoothly, causing Barbara to roll her eyes and take another drink of her punch.

"Would you like to dance with us?" they asked.

"Sure, why not?" he said, standing up. Barbara rolled her eyes again, causing Wally to grin at her.

"I know we just met," he started, before taking a sip of his own drink, "but I can clearly see you really care for him."

"He's my best friend," she said, watching as he danced with the two girls.

"You sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think he's more to you than that."

She looked away. "How do you know Dick?"

"From his circus days."

"You knew him in the circus?"

"Yup. We've been friends ever since, so I can tell you for certain that he really cares for you, too."

She smiled softly, grabbing hold of the necklace he had given her for her birthday. It was a pretty silver necklace with an aquamarine stone in the middle of it.

"You're a really good friend, Wally."

"So are you. Hey, would you like to dance?"

"Sure," she replied, and he held his hand out to her. She took it, and he led her out to the dance floor. They danced to the song, and she couldn't help but let out a smile.

She could practically feel Dick's eyes burning on them.

"Having a good time?" Wally asked her, and she laughed.

"I'm having a great time."

"How long have you known Dick?"

"Since we were eight."

"That's a long time."

"Yeah," she replied with a smile.

"So you know everything about each other?"

"I would think so."

He studied her, and she looked away, unable to stare into his green eyes anymore.

"You said I would think so."

"Yeah?"

"I just find that interesting."

"Mind if I cut in?" Dick said, suddenly appearing.

"It's all good. I have to take this," Wally said, gesturing towards his cell phone. He walked away.

"Do you mind if I have this dance?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She nodded and took it.

The song changed to a slow song. Blushing, he gently put his hands on her waist while hers rested on his shoulders. They moved slowly, seemingly getting closer to each other with every passing minute.

"Happy birthday, circus boy," she whispered, and he smiled softly.

"Thanks."

"I think you'll like your present."

"You didn't need to get me anything."

"Sure I didn't," she replied, and he pulled back to look at her. "Thanks for the dance."

"Yeah," he replied, looking away from her.

"Happy birthday, Dick," Bruce said, appearing behind them.

"Thanks, Bruce. I didn't think you were going to be here."

"Are you kidding me?" he said, looking stunned. "It's not every day you turn fifteen."

"Sixteen I get one of the cars, right?" Bruce eyed him, and he looked away. "Right. We'll talk about it."

"Enjoy your party," he said, squeezing his shoulder. Dick nodded, and Bruce disappeared in the crowd of people.

"It was worth a shot," she replied, laughing.

"I'll break him."

"Sure you will," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Time for your cake, Master Richard," Alfred said, appearing behind her. He nodded and followed the older man up to the front, standing behind his birthday cake.

"I didn't think I'd ever get you away from him," Wally said, walking up next to her. She laughed.

"Funny."

"I'm known for my charming personality and good looks," he replied with a grin.

The crowd began to sing, and she found that she couldn't take her eyes away from Dick. He was smiling amongst the crowd of people. She smiled slightly, glad to see that he was enjoying himself.

Wally's voice echoed in her head. _"So you know everything about each other?"_

' _No, we don't,'_ she thought, watching as Dick blew out his candles. She knew him more than she realized, and knew that he hated these big party functions. He put them on for Bruce's sake.

Why, though?

Her brain scrambled as she tried to think of the reason. He was clearly putting on a front, as was Bruce, because they never acted that way when they weren't at these events, and as Wally's words ran though her brain, she struggled to think of the reason.

The image of Robin, with the most angered expression on his face, continued to burn into her mind.

"Wally," she said, stopping him. "How did you and Dick meet again?"

"From his circus days," he replied honestly, and she stared deep into his eyes.

"Right. Thank you."

"You're welcome?" he asked in confusion, watching as she turned and walked away. She ventured out of the ballroom and up the stairs, wanting a moment of privacy. Looking around, she made sure she was alone before she entered the guest room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"I gotta go," Wally said, clapping Dick on his back. "Don't forget about your party at M.J. tomorrow."

"I'll be there, and I'll try to act surprised."

"Good," he replied with a grin. "See you soon."

"Thanks for coming."

He nodded before turning to walk out. Dick looked around, wondering where Barbara drifted off to.

"Alfred," he said, walking up to him. "Have you seen Babs?"

"I haven't, Master Richard," he replied, looking around. "Maybe she left early."

"She would have said goodbye."

"I'll see if I can find her."

"Thanks," he said, watching as he walked away. He let out a sigh, wishing that the party would end soon.

Turning to walk out of the ballroom, he walked up the stairs and walked to the guest room, hesitating for a minute before knocking. He waited for her to let him in before he opened the door.

"You left your own party?" she asked with a smile.

"My best friend left my party," he said, sitting on the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry. I just needed a minute. The music was giving me a headache."

He nodded. "I get that, but it's not a party without you there."

"Charmer," she whispered, grinning at him.

He grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it lightly. She laid her head on his shoulder, still trying to focus her mind.

"You shouldn't be up here too long."

"Neither should you," he pointed out. "I need you down there."

"Let's go, circus boy."

"You're wearing the necklace," he said, putting his hand underneath the small pendant.

"Yeah. I love it."

"I know blue's your favorite color, and it matches your eyes really well. I thought you would like this."

"I do. Thank you. I hope you like yours."

"I know I will," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. He led her out of the guest room and back downstairs to the party.

"I have a question for you," she said softly, as they walked down the stairs.

"Fire away."

"When did you get so tall?" she whined, shoving his chest. He grinned.

"Don't worry about it, shorty."

"Shut up."

"After all these years of you being taller than me, luck has finally changed."

"Don't let your ego get to your head, Grayson. I can still kick your butt."

"Not all the way down there."

"Let's get back to your party, circus boy."

And that's where they stayed for the rest of his party. When the mansion finally cleared out, the only people left in the house were Bruce, Alfred, Dick and Barbara.

"Whenever you're ready to go, Miss. Gordon," Alfred said, walking up to the table that she and Dick sat at.

"Five more minutes, Alfred?" Dick asked, and he nodded before turning to walk away. He then walked over to the pile of presents and picked the one from her up.

"I thought I would open your present before you left."

"I think you'll like it."

He tore the wrapping off and opened the box, smiling softly.

"If I remember correctly, this was taken by Alfred right after Bruce took me in."

She nodded, taking the frame. "My dad brought me here soon after on the day he was off. He and Bruce were talking, and I found you sitting outside by the pond. It was the first time I had seen you since that night in GCPD."

"You sat with me, and we talked. We talked for a while."

"Then Alfred took this picture of us, and we were smiling. You called me your friend."

"My best friend, actually," he replied, flashing her that famous smile that made her stomach flip.

"I was struggling to figure out what to give to the famous Dick Grayson, and I couldn't come up with anything. I know you miss your parents a lot, and I asked Alfred for a copy of this picture to always remind you that you're never alone."

He reached over and grabbed for her hand. "I love this. Thank you."

"I should be going," she said, standing up. He grabbed for her jacket and helped her put it on. "Happy birthday, Dick."

"Thanks for coming, Babs. It wouldn't have been the same without you."

"I'll see you at school on Monday."

He nodded, watching as she walked over to Alfred before disappearing out of the ballroom. He slumped back down in his seat and picked the frame up, smiling once again.

* * *

"Happy birthday!" everyone at the cave echoed out. Robin smiled.

"Thank you. I really do appreciate this. You didn't need to throw me anything."

"Don't play that game," Connor said, clapping his shoulder. "Enjoy this."

"Our little Robin is growing up so fast," Wally said, wiping his eyes. Robin rolled his eyes.

"Shut it, Kid Mouth," he replied, pushing his chest.

"Happy birthday, Robin," M'gann said, showing him a birthday cake. Zatanna lit the candles, and he blew them out.

"Happy birthday," Zatanna told him, giving him a hug.

"Thanks, Zatanna," he said, pulling away. She nodded before walking back to over to Artemis, and he briefly wondered how long things would be awkward between them.

"Something on your mind, Rob?" Artemis asked, sitting next to him.

"Just debating something in my head."

"Like what?" she asked, her voice lined with concern.

"Right vs. wrong."

"You feel like you're doing something wrong, when, in reality, it may be right."

"Something like that."

She nodded, setting her plate down onto coffee table. "Our job is to always do the right thing. We're supposed to do what we're told. You know just as well as I do that it doesn't always work out that way. We've done the wrong thing several times before. It doesn't mean it's always a bad thing."

He nodded, processing her words. "I guess that makes sense."

"I don't know what you're debating, but you better get traught, because we need our Robin back."

He grinned at her. "I will. Thanks, Art."

"No problem kid."

He looked over at Wally, who was on his third piece of cake. His mind continued to go into overdrive.

He spent the rest of the day at Mount Justice. For the first time in quite a few months, they were able to actually hang out without the stress of a mission to distract them.

That was, until just before sundown, right as everyone was about to leave.

His communication started to go off. Batman's voice rang through. _"Meet me at GCPD."_

"Will do. Robin out."

He changed into is suit and said his goodbyes to everyone before he got into the zeta tube. Reappearing in Gotham City, he grappled up to the nearest building and looked around, smiling softly.

Taking in the cool night air, he leaped across the rooftops, moving as fast as he could to GCPD. He knew if he was late Bruce would never let him hear the end of it.

When he arrived to the building opposite the precinct, he stopped dead in his tracks.

He let out a slow breath as he saw her standing on top of the GCPD building, her hair whipping slightly in the wind. He then smiled softly, wanting nothing more to jump down and talk to her.

"Robin?" Barbara called out, spotting him on the building. He turned his voice magnifier on before he jumped onto the building.

"Barbara Gordon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need something?"

"My father's working. I thought I would come and get some fresh air before I get stuck in his office all night. What are you doing here?"

"Meeting Batman."

"I thought you two were as thick as thin," she replied with a smile. "Never leaving each other's side."

"I'm gaining more independence as I get older."

She stared at him, and he looked away. "I saw you watching me the other day."

"I should have saved you."

"Do you know who did?"

"No. I'm sorry, Barbara. It should have been me."

She studied him, and he hoped more than anything that his domino mask was hiding his face enough. "You look familiar to me."

"I shouldn't."

"Does that make you my knight in shining armor, then?" she asked, slowly circling around him. He tried not to smile.

"My job is protect the innocent."

She smiled. "You give your life for us. Every day you go out there and you protect all of us."

He finally turned back to her. "I'm just glad to see you're alright."

"I'm fine. I'm more than fine."

"Good."

"I guess I should go before Batman shows up," she said, gesturing to the stairway door. She then grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look at her. "You may not have been the one that saved me, but I know you would have been. For that, I say thank you."

She grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed it, and he felt something be put into it.

"Thank you for protecting our city."

He dropped his eyes, his heart screaming at him to tell her while his head ordered him not to.

She turned to walk back into the precinct. He waited until she was out of sight before he unclenched his hand, letting out a deep breath as he saw what it was.

It was the necklace he had given her for her birthday.


	3. Crime Alley

There are many feelings you go through when you discover your best friend has been hiding a secret.

Hurt, anger, sadness, Barbara couldn't even begin to describe them all.

Richard Grayson, her best friend, was _Robin_. Robin. Batman's sidekick.

She always had the assumption. It always felt like he was hiding something from her. Sneaking around, dodging questions, lying, it all made sense now. He was protecting himself. Protecting Robin.

Ever since his party last night, she couldn't think of anything else. Dick and Robin were the only two things on her mind as she stayed in the living room with her father watching TV.

"Something wrong, hun?" he asked, flipping through his paperwork.

"I just have a lot on my mind."

"Something I can help with?"

"I'm just getting ready for a test at school," she replied, and he nodded, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder.

"You'll do excellent, pumpkin. You always do."

"Thanks, dad," she said, flipping through the channels. She didn't know why she was doing what she was doing, because she wasn't paying attention anyway, but it was keeping her focus off of her revelation.

Dick Grayson. Robin.

Her friend. Her charming, dorky friend who could crack jokes like no tomorrow and still charm women, was running around the streets of Gotham in a red and black suit.

Or, her suspicions claim he was.

' _I have to find out for certain, but how?'_

Then the answer dawned on her, and she knew what she needed to do.

"I'm going to check something," she told Jim, who nodded.

"We're leaving in about ten minutes."

"I know," she replied, before racing off to her room. She opened her laptop and swallowed, hoping she could get this to work without drawing attention.

She wasn't quite sure how she did it, but soon she was listening in on Batman's communications. Smiling to herself, she quickly got onto the radio, listening to an exchange between Batman and Robin.

"Robin."

"Meet me at GCPD."

"Will do. Robin out."

She smiled to herself, still in disbelief that she was able to hack into their communications.

"Barbara? Ready to go?"

"Yes, dad," she replied, grabbing hold of her bookbag. She followed him out to his car, and they drove in silence to GCPD, her heart pounding in her chest as she did so.

"I'm sorry its messy in here," he started, opening the door to his office. "There's been a lot of cases lately."

"Do you mind if I get some fresh air?"

He studied her for a minute. "For a few minutes on the roof."

"Thank you," she said, putting her bag onto the couch. She then walked up the stairs to the roof and waited, wondering if Robin fell for her trap.

She finally saw him staring at her from the building across.

She called for him, and he jumped over. As they spoke, she sensed his body tone. Cool, calm, relaxed. It was perfect. He was good at hiding, even when she was doing everything possible to try to break him. She tried using everything to her advantage, but he wouldn't budge.

' _Time for plan b.'_

"I guess I should go before Batman shows up," she said, gesturing to the stairway door. She then grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look at her. "You may not have been the one that saved me, but I know you would have been. For that, I say thank you."

She pulled the necklace out and slid it into his hand. She then turned and walked away, making sure to be out of his eyesight while still being able to see him. When he finally opened his hand, his face turned to shock.

' _Got you.'_

Turning to walk back down the stairway, her heart thumped in her chest and she pressed her hand against the wall, struggling to breathe.

* * *

Barbara knew.

She knew he was Robin.

Laying back on his bed, he held the necklace up to his face, anger coursing through him. He couldn't believe she knew, and he wasn't the one to tell her.

His mind reeling, he wondered how she was feeling. Was she angry with him? Was she upset? Betrayed? Would she ever want to speak to him again? Or did he just ruin their friendship altogether?

He felt terrible.

Well into the night, with school just a few hours away, he was struggling to get to sleep. Nerves raked through his body, and all he wanted to do was call her and explain everything. Tell her the reason why Robin had to be kept a secret. Tell her everything and hope she would forgive him.

He didn't know what he would do without Barbara by his side. She's been there since day one. Literally.

He put the necklace onto his nightstand and turned his light off, flipping onto his side to look out the window.

He just wanted to see Barbara.

"Master Dick?" someone said, shaking him. "Master Dick, it's time for school!"

He finally cracked his eyes open to see Alfred staring up at him. Looking over at his clock, he realized he had slept through his alarm.

"Thanks, Alfred."

"Better get ready, young sir."

He threw the bedsheets off and walked to his bathroom. Taking a quick shower, he dried his hair with his towel before changing into his uniform. He then gelled back his hair and brushed his teeth, his heart pounding at the thought of seeing Barbara today.

Grabbing for his backpack, he walked over to his nightstand and picked the necklace up, staring at it for a few minutes before pocketing it. Turning to walk out of the room, he went down the stairs and to the kitchen.

"Breakfast, Master Dick?"

"I'm not hungry, Alfred, but thank you."

"If you're sure."

"I am," he replied, looking through his backpack. "Can we go?"

"If you're ready," he replied, grabbing for his keys. They walked out to the car and drove off to school, Dick staying quiet the entire time.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nothing."

Alfred eyed him. "I've known you for far too long."

He sighed. "Don't tell Bruce."

"You have my word."

"Barbara knows I'm Robin."

He took in a deep breath. "I see."

"I didn't tell her. I swear. She figured it out on her own."

"I believe you. Miss. Gordon has a brilliant mind. I expected this sooner rather than later."

"She cornered Robin last night, and she hasn't talked to me since. How am I supposed to talk to her about this?"

"Might I offer a suggestion?"

"Please."

"She'll be mad. I can guarantee it. You need to tell her the truth about everything. Robin, Batman, your little team at Happy Harbor, everything."

He nodded. "Thank you, Alfred."

"As always, Master Dick. I wish you luck. Miss. Gordon has quite the temper."

"I know how to calm her down," he replied, and Alfred smiled to himself.

The car pulled into Gotham Academy, and he said goodbye to Alfred before grabbing for his bag. He quickly walked into the school, wanting to find her before the bell rang for class. After a half-hour of waiting, the bell rang, and he had no choice but to go to his locker and go to class.

She was avoiding him. She wasn't at her locker, he didn't see her at lunch, and he didn't see her in between classes. He knew she was mad, and she had every right to be, but he wished she would let him explain.

He finally saw her at the end of the day.

She was at her locker packing her bag. He bit his lip, debating if he should talk to her, before he walked over to her.

"Hi."

"Hi," she said softly, refusing to look at him.

"Can we talk?"

"You've had plenty of time to talk," she said sharply, closing her locker. She started to walk away from him, but he grabbed hold of her hand.

"Please," he whispered, and her resolve snapped at the sound of his voice. "Come to the manor with me. I'll explain everything, but I can't lose you because of this. I can't ever lose you, Babs."

She looked back up at him, and the look on his face made her heart break.

She couldn't lose him, either.

"Ok," she agreed, pulling her phone out. She texted her father before she followed him out to Alfred's car. They rode back to the manor in silence, and his mind was going into overdrive on how he was even going to explain all of this to her.

"Will you be staying for dinner, Miss. Gordon?"

"I'm not for certain," she replied, refusing to look at Dick.

"I'll set you a plate."

"Thank you."

He walked back into the manor, leaving Dick and Barbara outside in silence. He finally turned to her.

"Come with me," he said, grabbing hold of her hand. They walked to the backyard and sat down on the bench in front of the pond. He rubbed his hands together before he pulled the necklace out. "I believe this belongs to you."

She took it from him, studying it between her fingers. "You know, this is one of the best presents I have ever gotten. It was given to me by my best friend who I thought I could trust. The one who never lied to me."

He pressed his lips together. "I have wanted to tell you for so long. You have no idea. I have begged Batman to let me tell you-"

"Another lie," she cut it. "I know Bruce is Batman."

He sighed. "I have begged Bruce to let me tell you. He was adamant. He's going to kill me when he finds out that you know. He told me to do whatever it takes to get you off my trail."

He paused. "I didn't want you to find out this way. I really didn't. I wanted to tell you. You're right. I've been lying to you and keeping secrets from you, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She took a deep breath. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Since I was nine. I discovered the entrance to the cave and figured out that Bruce was Batman. I convinced him to let me join him."

"You've been doing this since you were nine-years-old?"

"Yup."

"That's insane."

"I can't apologize enough, Barbara. I am sorry. I just-I don't want to lose you."

She dropped her head, rubbing the pendant of the necklace. "Even when I'm mad at you, I still don't want to be away from you."

"I know I'm far from forgiven, but I hope we can still talk about this."

"I just feel hurt, but I guess if Bruce told you not to, you couldn't. I know you and I know you would have told me if you could have." She then thought of something. "Wally."

He nodded, sitting back down beside her. "Another lie. I didn't meet him during my circus days. I met Wally when Bruce introduced us."

"He's Kid Flash, isn't he?"

"Yeah. He works with The Flash in Central City." He paused for a minute. "There's something else I need to tell you. We've started a team. Kid Flash, Robin, Aqualad, Artemis, Miss. Martian, Superboy, Rocket and Zatanna. We do undercover missions for Batman and the rest of the Justice League. The reason I haven't been around as much lately is because I've been with them, either hanging out at Mount Justice, or doing missions."

She looked out over the pond. "When did you meet Wally?"

"When I was about eleven. He, Red Arrow, Aqualad and I all trained together. We started the team at Mount Justice."

She didn't say anything. Pressing his lips together, he stared out over the blue water.

"How did you figure it out?"

She smiled softly. "Wally mostly. His story wasn't really adding up. You've told me about your time in the circus. You said that there weren't many children there, and none that would have been Wally's age at the time. Then he asked me if I knew everything about you, and lately, I've been feeling like I don't. I've honestly had the suspicion for a while, but I needed proof, so…."

"So what?"

"I, er, hacked your communications."

"You hacked our communications?" he said in shock. "How the hell did you do that?"

"I knew I couldn't get you alone without Batman with you, so I was able to find the right frequency Bruce uses for his communications. I heard him order to you to GCPD, so I figured I would strike before he got there."

He closed his eyes. "Bruce is going to kill me."

"When you finally arrived, I tried everything I could to get you to break. You wouldn't, so I gave you my necklace. You confirmed you were Robin by the look on your face when you saw it, and found out I knew. A random kid who didn't know me would have been confused."

"You're intelligent," he said, laughing as he shook his head. "I knew someday you would figure it out."

The sky grew darker. He looked up, waiting for the rain to start falling.

"Maybe we should go inside," he said, and she laughed.

"I would hope to think so."

They walked back into the manor, and he turned to her.

"Are you hungry or anything?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I think I would like to stay for dinner, though."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes brightening. She smiled.

"Yeah. I'm still really mad at you, but I at least know why you did what you did."

"I want to show you something," he said, and she took hold of his hand and followed him into the study, staring at him in confusion as they stood in front of the grandfather clock.

"A clock?"

"Change it to 10:47."

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She gave him another look before she changed the time. The clock moved, and her mouth opened in surprise as it revealed a passageway. He grinned at her as he held his arm out, instructing her to follow him. She walked down the winding staircase, her eyes opening in surprise when she finally reached the cave.

"Welcome to the Batcave."

"Wow," she said in surprise, her eyes wide as she looked around. He grinned at her, enjoying the look on her face as he did so. "This is incredible."

"That was my reaction when I first found it."

She looked around, her mouth hanging open in surprise. He waited, a grin still plastered on his face.

"I can't believe billionaire Bruce Wayne is Batman," she said, walking over to look at the Batmobile. "It was right under our noses the whole time."

"He's really good at hiding it, even when he first started and your dad was wanting to arrest him."

She laughed. "Is that why the two of you always throw the rich and lavish parties? I ask, because you can't stand those types of parties, and neither can Bruce, for that matter."

"You know me too well," he laughed. "Yes. If people think Bruce and I spend our free time partying and hitting on women, they'll never think we spend our nights running across the rooftops of Gotham."

She walked up to the glass cases and stared up at his Robin outfit. "What's it like? Putting the suit on?"

He walked up next to her. "I can't really explain it. I'm in essence a whole other person. No one knows who's underneath the suit. Underneath the mask. I'm Robin. I fight crime. I was trained by Batman, and I couldn't imagine my life any other way."

She smiled at him. "Did you design Robin?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, opening the case. "This guy is my creation."

"How'd you come up with the name?"

"My mother. She always told me that I looked like a Robin when I was in the air."

"You never told me that story."

"I really couldn't," he replied, pulling the suit out. "It would have given me away."

"Right. What are you doing?"

He smiled at her before he disappeared. She waited for a minute before he returned, donning the costume without his mask, which was still tucked away in the case.

"I always had the suspicion," she said, looking at him in the suit. She walked up and put her hands on his arms. "My best friend. Robin."

He grinned. "It feels so good that you finally know."

"What about Bruce?"

"I'll tell him everything. Don't worry about it."

"You're willing to get into that much trouble for me?"

"Always."

She smiled, not realizing that her hands had moved to his chest. Her blue eyes stared into his own. He grinned down at her, unclenching his hand to reveal the necklace.

"I believe this belongs to you, if you want it back."

She held her hair up and watched as he put it on her, his fingers skimming her skin. She shivered.

"Your necklace has been touched by a Robin," he replied with a grin, and she laughed, unable to stop staring into his eyes.

Dick Grayson. Robin.

"What is going on down here?"

They jumped apart. Dick closed his eyes, while Barbara pressed her lips together. Bruce came down the stairs, and he held the angriest look she had ever seen on him.

"Bruce, I can explain."

"You better start."

"It's my fault, Bruce," Barbara said, ignoring Dick's plea. "I found out Dick was Robin, and he had no choice but to tell me. I hacked into your communications and confronted him on top of GCPD."

"You did what?" he asked, eyeing her.

"I hacked into your communications," she said, stepping away slightly. "I'm sorry, Bruce. None of this was Dick's fault."

"Barbara, go upstairs," Bruce ordered, and waited until she walked back up the spiral staircase before he turned back to his young charge. "What did I tell you?"

"Bruce-"

"I told you not to tell her!"

"I didn't! She found out on her own! I swear! I tried to get her off my trail! I tried so hard! She was persistent!"

"So you decided to bring her down to the cave? Was that her idea, too?"

He looked away. "I brought her down here. I wanted to show her the cave, and yeah, Bruce, she knows, and I am finally happy. No more secrets."

"Except the fact that the commissioner's daughter now knows who Batman and Robin are."

"She won't tell anyone."

"That's not what I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of her getting hurt, and you should be, too."

He didn't say anything. Bruce ran his hand through his hair. "I told you to get her off your trail."

"I tried. She's intelligent. You said so yourself! She was able to hack our communications! You really didn't think she wouldn't figure this out?"

Bruce sighed angrily, causing Dick to turn is head away again. There were several moments of awkward silence before Bruce kicked his chair.

"Take the suit off and go upstairs. Now."

He quickly changed out of his suit and walked back upstairs to the study, stopping before he did so. "I'll take whatever punishment you give me. Barbara finally knows, and it feels like a weight's been lifted from me."

He found Barbara sitting in the study, a guilty look on her face. She stood up the second he passed through the clock.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied, placing his hands on her arms. "You shouldn't have taken the blame."

"But it was my fault."

"No, it wasn't. I took you down there because I wanted you to know. I'll take whatever punishment Bruce throws for the same reason."

She pressed her hands against his cheeks before wrapping her arms around his neck. He wrapped hers around his waist, holding her as close to him as possible.

"You're the best friend I could have asked for," she whispered.

"I could say the same for you. Not many friends take too kindly to finding out their best friend is a crime fighting vigilante."

She laughed slightly. "In this city, nothing surprises me."

They stood there for several minutes, holding on to one another as they did so.

She pulled back, resting her hands on his arms as she did so. "I meant every word I said on the rooftop. I wasn't mad at you. You do put your life on the line to protect our city. Thank you."

"You're one of the people that keep me going," he whispered, and she smiled softly.

"Miss. Gordon?" Alfred said, and they jumped apart. "Your father called. He'll be here in a few minutes to take you to the precinct."

"Thanks, Alfred," she said, unable to look at Dick. He nodded before turning out of the room. "I guess I should go wait on him."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow?" he asked, and she nodded.

"See you later, bird boy," she said with a grin, before picking up her backpack and walking away. He grinned back.

She finally knew.

* * *

"Dad, I have a question," Barbara said hesitantly. He looked up at her. "I was wondering if I could stay by myself tonight?"

He looked away. "Barbara-"

"Please. I'm fifteen. I can take of myself."

He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a deep sigh. "Ok. We'll see how tonight goes. If it goes well, I'll let you stay here by yourself from now on."

"Thank you!" she said, giving him a hug.

"If you need anything, you call me or Alfred, do you understand?"

"Yeah," she nodded. He kissed her head, still hesitant.

"I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Love you."

"Love you, too, pumpkin," he replied. He picked up his paperwork and walked out of the building. The moment his car drove away, she put her plan into motion.

She wanted to help them.

She took a deep breath, putting her mask on as she did so. She then snuck out of her apartment window and landed on the ground, thankful that she was only on the second floor. Looking both directions, she took off to her right, making sure the police scanner was in her ear as she did so.

" _Attempted robbery at 10_ _th_ _st. in the alley near Casey's."_

' _ **Perfect,'**_ she thought, making her way further down the road. She turned into the alley's near Casey's and saw someone running off with a woman's purse. She quickly chased after him, swallowing slightly when she saw he had a knife.

"Drop the purse."

"Another masked freak?" he said, rolling his eyes. "This town is becoming ridiculous."

"Drop it!" she said again. He charged towards her, and she quickly moved out of the way, kicking his back from behind. He cried out in pain before he dropped the purse, and she kicked his face.

She never felt better.

Running through the city, taking down the bad guys, it was adrenaline. It pumped through her system and brought her to life. She had never felt this alive before.

That is, until a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back, and she turned around to find the Dynamic Duo standing there. Robin continued to hold on to her while Batman knocked the man unconscious and returned the purse to the woman, who thanked him repeatedly before disappearing.

He then returned to where she and Robin stood. Nodding to Robin, he pulled out his grapnel gun and flew to the top of the nearest building. Robin's arm wrapped around her waist before he pulled his own out, sending them both to the top. He stood by Batman's side, and they were both glaring at her. She let out a deep breath before removing her mask.

"What do you think you're doing?" Batman asked.

"I want to help."

"No. This is extremely dangerous, Barbara."

"Babs," Robin said, walking up to her, "what are you thinking?"

"Why is it any different for you to go out there, but not me?"

"I've had YEARS of training. I am prepared for this. You have had no training, Barbara. You cannot be out here."

She let out an angry sigh. "Are you going to tell my father?"

"We will not tell your father, but only if you stop. You will get hurt if you continue on like this."

"Babs, please," Robin begged, resting his hands on her arms. "Do not do this."

"You could use more help in a city like this."

She stood defiant, looking back and forth between the Dynamic Duo. They both continued to give her a look.

"Batman, a word," Robin said a minute later, pulling him to the side. "I'm not happy about this either, but I know her and nothing will stop her now. She figured out our identities that way. She will continue to come out here no matter what we do. She won't be under her father's care forever."

He let out an angry sigh. "Get on your bike and meet me at the cave."

He nodded, and Batman turned back to her. "We're taking you back home."

She didn't say another word. She put her mask back on before Robin wrapped his arm around her waist again and safely landed them both back on the ground. She followed them back to the car, watching as Robin hopped onto his motorcycle. He revved up his bike and followed the Batmobile back to the cave, parking it once he was inside.

"I thought you were taking me home," Barbara said, stepping out of the car.

"I will soon. For now, I'm going back out on patrol. Dick, on the other hand, is going to train you."

"You're going to let me help?" she asked in shock.

"I know from experience," he said, looking over to his young charge who grinned in response, "that if you tell a kid no, they're only going to want to do it more. The last thing we need is for you to get hurt. So, Dick, start training her. If, and when, I believe you're ready, I'll consider taking you in."

"Thank you," she said, giving him a look of gratitude.

"And Barbara, if I catch you out there again before I say so, I will tell your father."

She nodded, refusing to look at him in the eye. Bruce nodded to Dick before he hopped into the Batmobile and drove away.

"He's not going to let me join, is he?"

"You're Gordon's daughter. It's going to take a lot to convince Bruce to let you become a vigilante."

"So, what, you teach me now?"

"This is an extremely dangerous city," he said, pulling his staff out. "Guns, knives, whatever they're using this week. If you're so insistent on being out there with us, then you need to get ready."

He took a shot at her, watching as she fell to the ground crying out in pain as she did so. He shook his head.

"You're not anywhere close to being ready. That was a light shot."

"I wasn't ready, you ass!" she said, getting back to her feet.

"Punch me."

"What?" she asked, looking at him in confusion.

"I want you to punch me."

"Are you insane?"

"Possibly, but that's not the point. Punch me."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not punching you."

"Then I take another shot at you," he said, flipping his staff. "Your choice."

Her fist connected with his jaw. He gently rubbed it, grinning as he did so.

"Are you happy now?"

"That barely hurt, red. That won't stop an attacker."

"So what will?"

"Training," he said, giving her his staff. "It takes a long time to get to where I am now. I've been doing this since I was nine. I went through Justice League training with the world's greatest heroes. You're the daughter of the police commissioner. You have some training, but not enough to really help you. That's why I will."

And he did. They stayed up the majority of the night in the gym, and he switched between strength and cardio workouts, while also sparring with her.

"Good work tonight," he said, wiping his face off with a towel. "You gave me a run for my money."

"I'm stronger than you think I am," she said, putting the boxing gloves on. He took them back off.

"That's enough for tonight. You need to get some sleep."

"Fine," she said, taking several sips of her water. "Thank you for this."

He nodded before he led her to the kitchen. He got out two bottles of water from the fridge out and walked back over to the table, grinning when he saw her resting her head on the table.

"Babs?" he said, gently shaking her. "Bruce is on his way back. He'll take you home."

She nodded. His communication went off, and he helped her back down to the Batcave and to the Batmobile, wishing her goodnight before Bruce sped off again.

* * *

 _Recognize: Robin, B01_

"Rob!" Wally said, watching as Robin walked through the zeta tube. "How's my favorite little bird?"

"Weird," he replied, giving him a look. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Barbara. She figured it out."

"Good for her," he replied, nodding her head.

"Did you give her hints? She said it was you that caused her to piece it together."

"I didn't tell her anything. I swear."

"She knows. It feels so good that she finally knows."

"What'd Batman say?"

"He's been mad at me ever since. Giving me the cold shoulder, especially when we discovered Babs wearing a mask taking down a purse snatcher last night."

Wally whistled. "Bet he was extremely mad."

"Actually, he ordered me to start training her."

"Seriously? Is he going to let her join?"

"He's hesitant, but letting her get this far is something I never expected."

"How would you feel if she became a vigilante?"

He shrugged. "I wouldn't want her out there, but I know her. She'll do whatever it takes to be a part of the team. If she does become one, there's no way I'm letting her out of my sight."

"Gather around," Batman said, walking into the room. He waited until they were all in there. "Off the border of Bialya…."

Robin tuned out, unable to get the image of Barbara in the mask out of his head. The defiant look she gave to him and Batman when they ordered her to stand down. The look of determination she held in her eyes as he started her training. The smug look she gave him when she was able to pin him underneath.

"Rob?" Wally said, shaking him. He shook his head. "We're leaving."

"Right," he said, following him to the bioship. He strapped into his chair and watched as the bioship began to take off.

"So, Rob, do you even know what we're doing?" Wally asked, grinning at him.

"Collecting intel from Bialya. I knew before you did."

"Can't get reddie out of your mind, can we?"

"Shut it, Kid Mouth," he growled, glaring at him.

"She is a _very_ beautiful girl."

"Shut up!"

"Rob has a crush?" Artemis said, and he growled again.

"She's just a friend!" he said, glancing over to Zatanna, who immediately looked away.

"I've seen her," Wally said, puffing his chest. "Very pretty."

Robin smacked the back of his head with his hand causing Wally to laugh. Artemis smiled behind her hand.

"I really hate you."

Connor turned around to grin at them, while M'gann couldn't keep a smile off of her face. Robin pressed his hand to his face, trying to stop himself from blushing.

The ship came down, and they all walked off. Zatanna held Robin back.

"I knew you were in love with someone else."

He growled. "I am NOT in love with her! She is a friend!"

"And I really hope you get her someday," she said, pressing her hand to his cheek.

She walked out of the bioship, and he stared at her in confusion before following after her. He met up with the rest of the team, listening closely as Aqualad handed out information.

"Let's move," he said, and they nodded. He followed M'gann and Rocket to the side of the building, hacking into the card panel.

"We're in," he said, watching as the light turned green. M'gann nodded before she phased through the building, taking a look around inside.

" _At least twenty armed men,'_ she said through the link.

" _ **We need that intel,"**_ Aqualad said. _**"Be prepared for a fight."**_

Robin got his batarangs and looked up at Rocket, who nodded her head. He kicked open the door, watching as Rocket put up a barrier to protect from the gunshots. He fired his batarangs and managed to rid two of the men of their weapons, watching as Kid Flash ran past them to knock some of the men off of their feet. Zatanna said a spell, and all of the weapons went flying away.

Robin fought with the men, smashing his staff into their backs and stomachs. Standing back to back with Artemis, they continued to take down the men, grinning to one another as they continued to take them out.

"It's fun working with you!"

"Same to you, Rob," she said with a smile.

Something smashed into him, and he heard a sickening crack before he toppled over in pain and fell unconscious.

"ROBIN!" Kid Flash screamed, running over to him. Seeing a blast coming, he quickly picked him up and ran him out of the way, watching as Artemis followed them. "Hang on, Rob. We'll get you help."

"I got it!" Rocket cried, holding up the files.

"We're outnumbered," Aqualad said, rushing over to Kid Flash and Robin. "How is he?"

"He's out."

Artemis shot another arrow off, causing the enemy to fall down and cry out in pain. "We need to figure something out."

"Kid, clear a path," Aqualad said, carefully picking Robin up. "We need to move. We have what we need."

"Clear out!" Artemis said through the radio. They quickly ran to the bioship, and he put Robin onto the bed that suddenly formed.

"Clear airspace," M'gann said.

"MOVE!" Aqualad said.

The ship moved and began to fly off. Kid Flash attended to Robin while Aqualad attempted to get ahold of Red Tornado.

"No answer," he said after several attempts.

"We're almost to the cave now," Connor said, and a few minutes later they parked in the cave. Kid Flash carefully picked Robin up and ran him inside to the med bay.

"What has happened?" Martain Manhunter asked, helping Wally put Robin onto the bed.

"He got hit with something. He's been unconscious ever since."

"Is Batman aware?"

"No. I'll try to get ahold of him."

He put his finger up to his ear and called for Batman. There was silence on the line before he called again.

"Batman."

"It's Wally. Rob's been hurt. He's in the med bay."

"Is he alright?"

"He's unconscious. J'onn is treating him."

"I'm on my way."

Wally turned back into the med bay and took a seat by the bed. Artemis joined him a minute later.

"He'll be ok," she said, gently squeezing his shoulders.

"I know. Robin gets knocked down and flies two feet higher," he replied, and she let out a small laugh.

"Wally, help me get his suit off," J'onn said, and Wally stood up and helped him unzip the sit. Artemis stood up and turned around while they did, before J'onn covered him up with the blankets. "He has some broken ribs, and he could have a concussion."

Wally helped him wrap Robin's chest and torso area. Batman came in a few minutes later.

"How is he?" he asked, walking up to J'onn.

"He'll be just fine. A few broken ribs."

Batman looked down at his protégé, his lips pressed together as he did so. Artemis was gently gripping Robin's hand.

"He's strong, Batman," she said, smiling softly. "He's one of the strongest kids I know."

He didn't say anything, but chose to keep staring down at Robin. His eyes flickered open as he struggled to breathe.

"B-Batman?"

"Relax," he said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have some broken ribs."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he replied. "You'll be alright soon."

Robin nodded, his vision going in and out. He fell back asleep a minute later.

* * *

Dick let out a deep breath as he struggled to open his eyes. When he finally did, he looked around his dark bedroom, noticing his bedside light had been turned on. He moved to sit up in his bed, hissing in pain as he did so.

"Careful, kid," Bruce said, and he turned his head to see him sitting in the corner of the room.

"You're not out on patrol?"

"I just got back. How do you feel?"

"Sore," he replied, placing his hand over the bandages. "What happened with the mission?"

"We got the intel we needed. You got home safe."

He closed his eyes, ignoring the sharp pain that flowed through the right side of his body. "I failed the mission, didn't I?"

"Getting injured is part of the job. It's best to try to not get hurt, if you can."

"Can I not go to school tomorrow?" he asked, carefully reaching over to grab for his water.

"I already called you in sick. You can take a day off."

"Thanks," he replied, putting the glass back onto the nightstand. "Listen, Bruce, about the whole Barbara situation-"

"I overreacted," he replied, and Dick's eyes opened in surprise. "Barbara was bound to find out, but her running off at night….."

"I know," Dick replied. "I've already talked to her, and she promised me she wouldn't do it again."

"Good," he replied, moving to look out the window. "She needs to continue with the training."

"Are you saying that she can join us?" he asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

"I'm not saying that," Bruce said, turning to face him again. "If Jim found out we let her join-"

"He doesn't have to know."

"That's not the point."

"I know, but she hacked our communications. We could use her."

"We'll talk about this later," Bruce replied. "You need to get some rest."

Dick nodded, and Bruce helped him lay back down. He then turned off the light and walked out of his room.

* * *

"Master Richard, you have a visitor," Alfred said, opening his door.

"Hi," Barbara said, walking into his room. He grinned at her.

"Babs!"

"I'll leave you two alone," Alfred said, before turning to walk out of the room.

"I heard you were sick," she said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Not really," he replied, and she gave him a look.

"What do you mean?"

He looked away, and she noticed that he was struggling to breathe. She then quickly pulled back his covers.

"Dick!" she screamed, looking at the bandages around his chest.

"It's nothing," he said. "I broke a few ribs doing a mission for the team last night."

"God," she breathed out, resting her hand on his stomach. "Are you ok?"

"I'll be fine soon," he replied with a grin.

"Be careful next time," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Dick," she sighed out, running her hands across his bandages.

"I'm alright, Babs. I'll be back to class on Monday."

"That's not the point. You could have been really hurt."

He grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it. Biting her lip, she moved to lay on the bed next to him.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said, pressing his hand to her cheek as he stared up at her. "I'll be just fine. I rarely ever get hurt, but I'll be more careful next time."

She rested her head on top of his, smiling softly as he snuggled his into the crook of her neck. She didn't know how much time had passed, but after a short while his soft breathing filled the air. She attempted to get off, but his arm was wrapped around her waist, and she knew that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Letting out a small sigh, she gently rubbed his hair, holding back a laugh when he let out a small moan.

Eventually her own eyes closed.

* * *

"Master Bruce," Alfred said, walking into the study. He looked up, "I need to show you something."

"Is something the matter?"

"You could say that," he replied, and Bruce furrowed his brow before he stood up. He followed Alfred upstairs and to Dick's room, stopping as he looked inside. "I found them like this a few minutes ago."

He looked at the two children, his eyes moving from Dick shirtless to Barbara practically laying on top of him. He let out a disgruntled sigh.

"I knew this was coming."

"What will you do, Master Bruce?"

He rubbed his hand across his face. "I'm going to have to talk to him."

"You mean _the_ talk?"

"He's getting to be that age," Bruce sighed. "This is going to be rough."

"I wish you the upmost luck, sir," he said, clapping his shoulder. He turned to walk out of the room, leaving Bruce to look over the two teenagers.

The moment he walked out of the room, Dick opened his eyes, taking a deep breath as he did so. The smell of strawberries hit his nose, and he looked over to find Barbara sleeping next to him. Smiling softly, he reached over and checked his phone, rolling his eyes at the text he received from Wally.

"Glad to know that your friends like me."

"Hey," he said, locking his phone. He looked over at her and smiled. "Have a nice nap?"

"A good one. You?"

"Best I've ever had," he replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes.

"How do you feel?"

"Better," he said, sitting up. Her hand rested on his bandages. "I should be up and moving around soon."

"At least you have the weekend to rest up."

"I'm ready to go back out on patrol."

She glared at him. "Rest."

"Will you be my nurse?"

She rolled her eyes. "I think you're perfectly capable to taking care of yourself."

"Fine," he sighed, throwing the covers up. He got up, letting out a hiss. "How long are you staying?"

"Until my dad picks me up after dinner."

"Cool," he replied with a grin. "Want to get some training in before then?"

"You can't train right now."

"You can."

He led her down to the Batcave, taking his staff out from the glass case. He threw it to her. "Not everyone carries a staff like I do. Others have their own weapons. I want you to use this because it'll help you train."

"And what am I training on?"

"Training dummies," he said, leading her to a hidden part of the cave. "Strength training."

He watched her for the next hour as she continued on with her training, offering her advice as he did so.

He was amazed by how fast she was learning.

* * *

As the next few weeks went by, she continued her training. Both Dick and Bruce were astonished by how quickly she was learning, and how well she was able to spar with them.

A training session after school one day went very well in Dick's opinion.

She was sparring with him, managing on several occasions to take him down. He was extremely impressed by how quickly she was picking everything up.

"How's it going?" Bruce asked, walking up to them. Dick nodded to Barbara before turning to him.

"She's doing great," Dick said, watching as she continued to attack the dummies. "She's devoted, Bruce."

"Dick," he said, turning to his protégé, "I don't want her out there. I'm only allowing her to train with us so she can defend herself if needed."

"She could do wonders. She's excellent in both strength and intelligence. What's the harm of letting her come with us?"

Bruce lightly pushed Dick's chest, causing him to press his lips together. "Right."

"Do you want that happening to her?"

"Of course not, but I know Barbara too well. She'll join us somehow."

"I told the both of you I would think about it, but only if she continues on with the training."

"And she will," he said, looking back at her. "She's doing great, Bruce. She has a lot of determination."

He looked at Dick for a minute before turning his attention to Barbara. "Stop."

She did, and turned to look at him. "In order to get a better position, turn your body like this, and hit the attacker. Try it on me."

She did it a few times. "Good. I know it may not seem like much now, but you're getting better."

"I really do what to help, Bruce. I know I'm not ready yet, but I want to help."

He stared at her before letting out a sigh. Turning to Dick, he said, "While I don't want her out in Gotham yet, maybe, JUST maybe, you can start taking her to the cave with you and let her train over there. Not out on missions yet, but having your team help her get ready."

"Really?" he said.

"Really. When do you plan on going over there?"

"Soon."

"Take her with you when you do. Get her introduced. In the meantime, Barbara, start thinking of a name so I can get you into the system."

They waited until he walked out before she ran into Dick's arms, causing him to laugh. "Sorry. I'm just so happy!"

"So am I. You must be really impressing him. Congratulations."

"Should I be scared to meet your friends?"

He laughed. "You've already met Wally. The rest are a lot less…..out there. Actually, one of them goes to our school."

"Who?"

"Artemis Crock."

"Wait a minute," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Is that the girl you took a picture with last year?"

He pulled his phone out and showed her the picture. "She has no idea who I really am. They only know me as Robin. So she was just as confused as you were."

She shook her head, laughing as she did so. "Grayson."

"But, if you do go to the cave, you're going to have to wear these," he said, picking up a pair of dark sunglasses. "It's to protect all of our identities."

"Do I have to?" she asked, looking over them.

"I wish you would. I really…..I don't want you to get hurt. The more people know about you, the more danger you're in."

She stared up at him, and nodded. "I'll wear them. What do you think I should call myself?"

"I don't know. It's up to you."

* * *

"There's a disturbance near Crime Alley," Bruce said, walking over to the Batmobile. Dick picked his own mask up and put it on. "Let's move."

They hopped into the Batmobile, and he quickly sped off. Dick briefly wondered how this would go, Bruce being back in the alleyway where his parents were killed.

They remained silent until they finally reached the alley. They hopped out of the car and heard the disturbance. Removing their grapnel guns, they quickly flew up to the roof and ran to the other side, looking down at the disturbance below.

"Gang war, it looks like," Batman said. "Be ready for gunfire."

"Smoke bomb?" Robin asked, and he nodded in agreement.

"Detective mode on."

He nodded, and turned it on. They each pulled out a smoke bomb before throwing to the ground. Jumping down, they pulled out their grapnel guns to slow their falls before taking out the men, moving as quickly as possible before the smoke cleared up.

They managed to take most of them down. When the smoke finally cleared, they both had to jump out of the way to avoid the gunshots. Batman pulled out his batarangs and shot them at the guns, watching as they flew out of their hands. They quickly took the remainder of them down.

"Are we good or what?" Robin asked, grinning as he looked around.

"Don't get cocky."

"Yes, sir," he replied, rolling his eyes. _Mood killer._

The sounds of sirens in the background drew their attention. Police and S.W.A.T cars arrived.

"Batman, Robin," Jim said, getting out of his car. "Good work."

"All yours," Batman said, and they watched as began to round up the criminals.

"We'll take it from here."

They nodded before grappling back up to the top of the building. They hopped back down the other side, and Bruce suddenly stilled.

They were standing in the back of the theater, near the spot where his parents were killed.

"Bruce?" Robin said quietly, trying to get his guardian's attention. "Batman?"

"Let's move," he said, and they started on the path back to the Batmobile.

"It must be hard for you to come back here," Robin said. Batman didn't respond, and he remained silent.

That is, until they got back to the Batmobile.

One of the tires had been removed. He opened his eyes in shock, while Batman's expression didn't change. The sound of metal hitting the pavement was heard, and a kid immediately stood up, fear written all over his face.

Dick immediately realized that the kid was wearing a red hoodie.

* * *

 **Author's Note: By season 2, everyone knows Barbara Gordon is Batgirl. For now, she will wear the glasses, and as we progress she won't. We'll get there ;)**

 **Anyone else a Jason Todd fan? Here he comes! :D**


	4. Jason Peter Todd

"I'm sorry!" the kid said, putting his hands up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Batman asked, glaring at him.

"Wait a minute," Robin said, holding his hand up. "I think I recognize you. Do you remember a red-haired girl getting attacked near tenth street?"

He didn't say anything, but continued to stare at them.

"What's your name?" Batman ordered.

"I-It's Jason. Jason Todd."

Robin pulled up his gauntlet and began to do research. Batman walked up to him.

"Why are you stealing my tires?"

He didn't reply. Robin sent the intel to the Batcomputer before walking up to him, kneeling down in front.

"Do you live on the streets?" he nodded. Batman closed his eyes behind his mask. "For how long?"

"A while."

"Jim?" Batman said, pressing his finger up to his ear. "Are you still around?"

"Finishing up here. Why?"

"When you get a chance, come to the other side of the wall. We have a….situation here."

"Do I need men?"

"Come by yourself."

"I'll be there in a minute."

He let out a deep breath before back to the two teenagers. "I have help coming for you."

"Who?"

"Commissioner Gordon."

"And then what? I get locked up in jail?"

"Why would you get locked up in jail?"

He didn't answer, but turned his head away. Batman and Robin looked at each other. A car pulled up, and Jim stepped out, his brow furrowing in confusion as he took in the scenery.

"What on earth?"

"Jim, let's talk," Batman said, and led the man away. Robin turned back to Jason.

"It's ok to be scared," he said, watching as he turned his head away.

"I'm not scared."

"Batman and I are going to find a good place for you. You have my word."

"I belong on the streets."

"No, you don't. You're a child. You belong in a loving home."

"Were you a street kid?"

"No," he replied honestly.

He rolled his eyes, leaning up against the car as he did so. "Then you don't understand."

"You're right, I don't. That's why I want to try to help. I'm Robin. I'm a kid sidekick. I like to think that I'm a symbol of hope for the children of Gotham."

He stared at him, and Robin smiled back, holding his hand out to him. "I promise you that you will not live on the streets of Gotham anymore. We're here to help."

"I saw you researching me," he replied, crossing his arms. "You saw everything."

"I'm ignoring it," he replied, his hand still held out. "I don't care about the police record. I just want you to get help."

Jason stared at him, and Robin could swear something flashed behind his blue eyes. Then he placed his hand in Robin's, shaking it lightly.

Bruce and Jim returned. "Come with me, son."

"Am I getting arrested?"

"No, you're not getting arrested," Jim said, leaning down to be eye level with him. "Tonight you're going to stay at the precinct, and tomorrow you'll be sent to the Wayne Care Center to get the help you need. No more living on the streets."

Robin walked over to him. "I promise you."

He didn't say another word. Jim led him to his car and put him in the front seat. They watched as he backed out of the alley and took off towards GCPD. Batman stared at them, as though determining something in his mind.

"Help me put the tire back on," he ordered, and they did before they took off back to the cave.

* * *

The bacon sizzled in the pan as Barbara fried it up, singing softly to the music she was listening to. Her father was due home from work any minute, and she prepared him breakfast before he went off to sleep as she always did.

"Barbara?" he called out as he walked through the door.

"Kitchen."

He put his stuff down before walking into the kitchen. "Smells amazing, sweetheart."

"I hope you're hungry."

"Starving."

He filled up his plate and sat down at the table. She filled hers as well, sitting down across from him.

"How'd last night go?"

"It was a pretty slow night," he replied, taking a drink. "How is it here? You know I'm still unsure about you staying here on your own."

"I'm fine," she sighed.

"It just worries me," he said, looking over his glasses. "Although, I'm just as worried sending you over to the manor with Grayson around."

She dropped her fork, rolling her eyes. "He's my friend."

"He's a teenage boy."

"You had no problem with it a few months ago."

"I did, actually," he replied, looking rather uncomfortable, "but I still wanted you to be watched."

"He is just my friend," she stressed, wishing her father would stop this conversation.

"Alright," he said, clearly not believing her. She let out an angry sigh. "I didn't mean to upset you."

They finished their breakfast in silence, Barbara refusing to look at him the entire time. He eventually stood up and put his plate in the sink.

"I'm going to bed. See you when I wake up?"

She nodded, still refusing to talk to him. He let out a sigh as he ventured into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He picked up a picture and smiled softly, remembering the day his daughter was born, and still in disbelief that she would be sixteen in the upcoming year.

Back in the kitchen, Barbara finished cleaning up, letting out a frustrated sigh as she did so.

It was times like this when she missed her mother.

The mother who would tuck her into bed each night, tell her a story and kiss her goodnight. The one who helped her learn gymnastics and always encouraged her when she struggled. The one who soothed her each time she had a nightmare.

The mother who up and left her family without a goodbye.

She let out another sigh, turning into the living room. She picked up a photo album and looked through it, her eyes watering. She stopped on the last photo taken with her and ran her hand across the picture.

It was her eighth birthday party. Her father took the picture while her mother had her arm wrapped around Barbara's shoulder, resting her head on top of hers.

Barbara couldn't believe how much she looked her the older she got.

"I've done my best," a voice said, and she jumped up, the photo book falling to the floor. Jim stood behind the couch, giving his daughter a sad look. "It's hard raising you without your mother, especially the older you get."

He sat down next to her and picked up the photo album. "I tried to make our marriage work. I tried my hardest. Then she was gone with no explanation. I've tried to be there for you, but there's only so much I can do. You are a young woman, after all."

"I know you're worried about me," she said, wiping her face. "I'm sorry I overreacted. It's just so hard sometimes, dad. These are the things that I need to talk about with _mom_ , but she's not here to talk about it with me."

She buried her head into his shoulder, and he laid his on top of hers, rubbing her back softly. "I am so sorry, pumpkin. She should be here."

"You're here," she said quietly.

He kissed her head. "I will always be here."

They stared at the photo album, unable to tear themselves away from the photos lost in time. They talked for a few more minutes before he went off to bed, and she grabbed a blanket before laying down on the couch, turning the TV on as she did so.

Her eyes closed, and they didn't open again until her phone started going off. Rubbing them, she reached over and grabbed for it, her brow furrowing in confusion.

Dick was calling her.

"Hello?"

"Morning, Babs."

"What are you doing up this early?"

"Early?" he asked. "It's almost ten."

She closed her eyes. "I must have fallen back asleep. Is there something you need? You rarely ever call me."

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with us."

"Go with you where?"

"The Wayne Care Center."

"Why are you going there?"

"We'll explain on the way, if you're interested."

"Yeah," she said, getting up. "Can you give me some time?"

"We'll be there about eleven."

"Perfect. See you then."

They hung up, and she quickly showered and changed. He texted her about ten till telling her that they were out front. Leaving a note for her father, she walked out of the apartment and saw the black car waiting out front.

"Miss. Barbara," Alfred said, smiling softly.

"Hi, Alfred."

He opened the door, and she climbed in, taking a seat next to Dick. He grinned at her.

"So what's going on?" Barbara asked, as the car took off. Dick pressed his lips together, looking over at Bruce as he did so.

"Bruce and I were on patrol the other night when we noticed that one of the tires had been stolen off of the Batmobile."

"Are you kidding me?" she said in shock.

"He was in the process of taking off a second when we busted him."

"Not only that, Babs, but he was wearing a red hoodie."

Her eyes opened wide. "A red hoodie? Is it him?"

"We can't get him to talk," Bruce said, and she looked over at him.

"Which is why we've asked you here."

"You think he'll talk to me?"

"If it is him, we can at least figure out what happened."

"What's his name?"

"Jason Todd. He's been living on the streets."

"He lived on the streets?" she asked sadly. They nodded. "That poor kid."

"I'm hoping that he'll do well here."

They stayed quiet the remainder of the ride. They pulled up to the building and waited until Alfred opened the door before stepping out, looking over the building. She immediately noticed Dick's look, and her heart broke for him.

He had spent quite a few days in here as well.

"Mr. Wayne," the woman greeted, smiling at them. "Richard Grayson, is that you?"

"In the flesh, Yolanda," he replied, flashing her a smile.

"Look at you. You're getting big. What are you, fifteen now?"

"Just turned."

"Yolanda, we're here to speak to Jason Todd. How's he doing?"

"He's very…...stubborn. He's mainly stuck to his room. Follow me."

She stood up from her desk and led them to interview room one. "I'll go get him. Please, have a seat."

"Thank you," Bruce said, and watched as she closed the door behind her.

"How did he get here?" Barbara asked.

"Your father. Batman turned Jason over to him, and he was brought here. Just like Dick was."

Dick smiled softly. "This place was good to me. They made me feel at home."

"I'm hoping the same will work for Jason. Living on the streets for as long as he has, he needs a stable environment."

"How long has he been here?"

"About three days. We wanted to give him some time to adjust before we came to talk to him."

The door opened, and Yolanda walked in followed by Jason. Dick took a good look at him. They had cleaned him up a lot since he (well, Robin) had last seen him. His hair was cut shorter, and he looked a little healthier.

"He's all yours," Yolanda said before turning to walk out of the room. They all stood up.

"Hi, Jason. My name is Bruce Wayne. This is Barbara Gordon and Richard Grayson. He actually used to live here."

"You used to put up with them?"

Dick looked at Bruce before answering. "I spent a little while here before Bruce adopted me. They're good people. They'll take care of you."

"You're the rich boy," he replied, leaning back in his seat. "Should have guessed."

Dick looked away. Barbara stared at him for a minute before she stood up and took a seat next to him.

"Hi there," she said, smiling softly at him. Jason moved his head to look at her. "Do you remember me?"

"You're the girl from the alley. How could I forget such a pretty face?"

"You saved my life," she said, ignoring his charm. "Why?"

"I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"Did you know him?"

"A while ago," he said, looking away. "He became an addict. Before that, he took care of me."

"What do you mean he took care of you?" she whispered, and he finally turned back to her.

"I've lived on the streets for quite a while now. He taught me how to survive."

She pressed her lips together, turning away from him. Behind her, Dick and Bruce looked at each other.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Why did you never go for help?"

He shrugged, turning his head away. She reached over and grabbed his hand, shocked as he gave her a gentle squeeze back.

"Jason," she whispered softly, and he finally moved his head to look at her, "you are not alone. Dick and I will come here every day if that's what you want."

"We will," Dick said, moving to sit next to her. "I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I have stayed here and I know it's a struggle. You feel like you're alone with nowhere to go. Before Bruce adopted me, I was in a really dark place. My parents had just been killed, and I was taken away from everything that I grew up with and loved. I don't want to see you go through that. I had Bruce, Alfred and Barbara to help me. So will you."

"Really?" he asked softly, and they both nodded.

"You saved my life. I owe you one," she replied, squeezing his hand.

"If they want to, they can stay here for a few hours," Bruce said, standing up. "I have some work to do at the office."

"That's a great idea," Dick said, and Barbara agreed. "Whatever you want to do, Barbara and I will do it."

Jason didn't say anything, but turned to look at the mirror. "Do we always get watched here?"

"Not always," Dick answered honestly. "They just want to make sure you're adjusting well."

"You'll stay, then?"

"We're here," Barbara said, smiling at him.

"I'll be back soon," Bruce told Dick, who nodded in agreement. He turned to walk out the door.

"What do you want to do?"

"Kind of want to go outside."

"Let's go," Dick said, standing up. They walked out to the front lobby. "Do you mind if we take Jason outside for a few minutes?"

"Of course," Yolanda replied. "Have fun."

"Thank you," he said, before they walked out the doors to the playground. They went to sit at one of the tables.

"How old are you, Jason?"

"I turned thirteen in August."

"Thirteen, huh? That's always a fun age."

"What's so good about it?"

Dick pressed his lips together. "Well, a lot of good things happened to me when I was thirteen, and it seems like a lot of good things are happening to you, too."

"You mean being stuck in here?"

"You're off the streets, and before winter, too. That should be making you feel so much better."

"And you've made two new friends," Barbara said, reaching for his hand again. "You'll make more here, as well, if you would come out of you room."

He rolled his eyes. "I hate being watched."

"It's for your own good."

He threw his head back, enjoying the unusually warm late October day. Dick and Barbara watched him closely, wondering what he would do next.

"Why did Wayne choose you?"

"He felt bad. My parents had been killed and so had his."

"That's the case with some of the kids in here. Why you?"

"Jason-"

"It's fine, Babs. I'll tell him." He took a deep breath. "He was afraid I would do something reckless, and end up in bad shape. He didn't want to see that. He didn't want to see me end up in jail or something worse happen to me. So he took me in. He led me off a path that both of us knew I would go on. I would have gone out to avenge my parents, and probably would have gotten myself killed."

"Would you really have done that?"

"I don't know," he said, turning his head away. "When I was here, I don't remember much of it. I couldn't sleep because I kept having nightmares. I wouldn't eat because I wasn't hungry. They became deeply concerned about me. Bruce came to check up on me, and when he found out how I was doing, he became concerned as well. Eventually he decided to take me in."

"How long were you here?"

"A couple of weeks."

"What's it like? Living with the golden boy of Gotham?"

"It's pretty good. Bruce is complicated but he and Alfred take really good care of me. Then there's Barbara," he said with a smile. She smiled back. "I've known her since the night my parents were killed."

"Are you together?" he asked, looking between them.

"No!" they both said, shaking their heads.

"Just friends," she replied.

"It should be lunch time," Dick said, looking at his watch. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

Dick gave him a look. "Don't do that. You need to eat."

"Fine," he replied sharply. They all stood up and walked to the cafeteria, grabbing plates of food as they did so.

"Can I call you Jay?" Barbara asked, as they sat at a table.

"Can I call you Barbie?"

"Barbie? That's a new one. Sure. Dick calls me Babs and you call me Barbie."

"You're as pretty as a Barbie doll," he said, flashing her a smile. Dick narrowed his eyes.

"Another charmer," she replied. "You're a lot like Dick."

"Am I?"

"I disagree," Dick replied, taking a bite of his lunch.

"Sure you do."

"How did you two meet?"

"The night his parents were killed he was brought to GCPD. My dad works at the police department, so I spent a lot of my nights there. I met him that night, and we've been friends ever since."

"Your father? Commissioner Gordon?"

"That's the one. Is that why you ran from him the night you saved me?"

"I don't have the best record," he replied, turning his head away from them.

"You're safe now, Jay. You're here, and we're here to help. No more running."

He stared at her, as though determining something in his mind. He then flashed her a smile.

"No more running," he repeated.

* * *

Down in the Batcave later that night, Barbara and Dick were sparring. He was finding it harder to keep up with her, and was extremely proud of his friend for how seriously she was taking her training.

"Can't keep up, Grayson?" Barbara asked, as she knocked him down and laid her foot on top of his chest. He grinned up at her, grabbing hold of her foot to kick his leg under her knees and cause her to fall.

"You're getting cocky, Gordon," he replied, hovering over her. One hand rested by her head while the other rested by her waist, holding himself over her.

She couldn't take her eyes away from his.

"First rule of defense," he said, his voice stuttering, "never let your guard down."

"Shut up," she replied, pushing his face away. He grinned.

He helped her up, staring at her for a minute. She gave him a look. "What?"

"Just trying to picture you in a costume."

"Funny," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously. Have you thought about it?"

She didn't answer, causing him to grin even more. "You have!"

"Maybe."

"What is it, Barbara?"

"Nothing you need to know, bird boy."

"C'mon!" he whined, giving her a pout. She rolled her eyes again.

"Fine. I've been thinking about it but I'm struggling to figure it out. It's not like you. You were given the name Robin by your mother."

He turned to look at his suit. "That's true."

"I really have no idea what to choose."

"You'll come up with something, Babs," he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

She stared up at Bruce's suit, her mind going into overdrive as she attempted to think of an identity. Staring at the symbol on his chest, she pictured herself in a similar suit, standing next to Batman and Robin, overlooking Gotham.

"I think I got it," she said, turning to him. He raised his eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah?"

"I keep seeing myself in a suit a lot like Bruce's."

"You want a cowl?" he asked, grinning slightly. She pushed him.

"I'm serious."

"And what would we call you, my lady?"

She stared up at the black suit again, smiling softly. "Batgirl."

"Batgirl, huh?" he said, grinning at her. "I like it."

* * *

Jason brushed his teeth, trying to ignore the look the blonde-haired boy next to him kept giving him. Putting the brush back into the case, he turned around to walk back to his room, feeling aggravated that the kid was following him.

"What?" he said, glaring at him as he turned around.

"Nothing, _Todd_."

"Then why are you following me?"

"Just giving you some advice," he started, causing Jason to narrow his eyes.

"I don't want it."

"Of course you don't," he replied, shoving his chest.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed.

"You're worthless. You'll never be anything more than a street rat, and those kids who keep coming around won't come much longer. They'll see you for who you really are."

Letting out a cry, Jason attacked him. They fought one another, causing a small group to form around them. Two of the attendants ran up and broke them apart, holding them back as they attempted to work their way back towards one another.

"Enough of this!" a man said, standing in between them. "Both of you to your rooms now! I will be by shortly!"

Getting escorted by the attendant, he was led back to his room. The door closed behind the man, and he kicked the desk chair, wanting nothing more than to get out of this building.

Sitting on his bed, he looked out the window, watching as the rain poured down it. Resting his head against the cool glass, he spotted two figures jumping across the rooftop, clearly looking for something.

' _I've been here a week and I'm already in trouble.'_

* * *

Barbara rubbed her eyes, feeling exhausted. She wished she had gotten more sleep the night before, but the storms had kept her awake and she was unable to sleep.

Arriving at Dick's locker, she noticed he was talking on his cell phone, a concerned expression on his face. A minute later he hung up.

"Is something wrong?"

"That was Bruce. Apparently Jason got into a fight last night."

She closed her eyes. "Do you know why?"

"I don't. Bruce asked me if I would go see him after school. Do you want to come with me?"

"Of course. How did Bruce know?"

"He asked Yolanda if she would keep him updated on Jason."

"He's concerned about him, isn't he?"

"It's very familiar," Dick said, closing his locker. "That's how Bruce was to me before I was adopted."

"I can't believe he's been there for a week. He must not be adjusting well, Dick."

The bell rang, and he nodded to her before they disappeared for their classes. As classes ended for the day, he met up with her at her locker before walking out to Alfred's car.

"Are you going to see Jason, Master Richard?"

"Yes, Alfred."

They drove off to the care center, Dick wondering in his mind what he would say to Jay when they got there. Barbara squeezed his hand in support, and he knew that she was thinking the same.

The car pulled up, and they began to get out of the car. Alfred stopped them.

"Dick, Barbara," he said softly, and they looked up at him, "try to understand what Mr. Todd could be going through, and be sensitive about it. It can't be easy for him."

They nodded and stepped out of the car. They entered the building and stopped by the receptionist.

"Yolanda will be with you in a second."

"Thank you," he said, and they waited until she came from behind the door.

"Richard," she said, giving him a hug. "It's always something special seeing one of our own return here."

"What happened with Jason, Yolanda?"

She sighed. "He started a fight here last night before bed."

They closed their eyes. "Is he in trouble?"

"He's going to be monitored, but he was disciplined."

"Do you mind if we go see him?"

"I think he would like that," she said. "Do you know where his room is?"

"I think so. Thank you, Yolanda."

"I believe the two of you are what that young boy needs."

They smiled softly at her before crossing through the door. They walked down the hall before stopping at room twenty-one, noticing the name "Todd" on the door. It was ajar, and Barbara noticed that Jason was laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Jason?" Dick said, lightly tapping on the door. He looked over at them. "Can we come in?"

"I guess," he replied, glancing them over as they entered his room. He then laughed. "What are you wearing?"

"Our school uniforms," Barbara said.

"That's unfortunate," he replied, returning his attention to the ceiling.

"What happened, Jay?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. "Why did you start that fight?"

"He made me mad," he replied.

"What did he say to you?"

He looked away, and she got on her knees by his bed. "Tell me, Jay."

"He called me worthless," he said quietly, sitting up. "Said I didn't belong anywhere but the streets. That you two would stop showing up after a while."

Barbara looked back at Dick before returning her attention to Jason. "What did we promise you? Dick and I told you that we would keep coming back."

"There's some kids here, Jason, who think they're in charge. That happened when I was here, too. You cannot let them get to you. You are not worthless. You have so much potential. You just have to keep your anger in check."

"But he-"

"Jason," Barbara said, and he turned his head away, "for us, will you keep your anger in check? No more fighting?"

He nodded. "Whatever you say, Barbie."

She smiled, ruffling up his hair. He growled and tried to fix it.

"I need to use the bathroom," she said, standing up. "I'll be right back."

They nodded, and watched as she walked out of the room. Dick turned to Jason.

"This place will help you. I promise you that."

He huffed. "So did Robin when he and Batman brought me here."

"It takes time, Jay. It has to be hard for you to adjust."

He didn't say anything, but chose to continue staring at the wall. Dick stood up and walked over to Jason's desk, looking down at it.

"What kind of punishment did you get?"

"Cleaning duty," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Grayson, I have a question."

"Shoot."

"Why are do you keep coming here?"

"Do you not want us to?"

"No!" he said, a little more quickly than he wanted to. "I just-"

He trailed off, looking away. Dick sat down in the chair in front of him.

"You're letting that kid get to you."

"I don't like it here," he said quietly, and Dick pointed out to himself that this was the first time since Jason had been here that he revealed how he was really feeling. "I just want to leave."

"I know how you feel. I keep telling you that it'll get better, but honestly I don't know. I was only here for so long. I don't care what that kid told you, Barbara and I are not leaving you here. We told you that we'll come by everyday if that's what you want."

"Why me, though?" he whispered. "So many kids here, and you and Wayne came to me."

Jason had a lot of self-doubts, Dick realized. Continually questioning himself, doubting himself, Dick wondered if he could ever get Jason to snap out of this.

"Because we see a lot of potential in you."

"How did you even know about me? The news of me getting here didn't go public. Only Batman, Robin and Commissioner Gordon know."

"Everything ok?" Barbara asked, returning to the room. Dick stood up.

"Perfect. Jason and I have been talking."

"Hey there, Barbie," Jason replied, getting up from his bed. "Dicky over there gave me a long boring lecture and I think I need some fresh air."

"Oh, I'm sure he did," Barbara replied, smiling. Dick rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately it's raining, Jay."

"We could go watch some TV," he suggested, but Dick stopped him.

"You're in trouble, remember? You're not allowed to watch TV."

He growled. "I didn't even start that fight!"

"It doesn't matter to them, Jay. You get involved and you're in just as much trouble."

He sighed, flopping back onto his bed. "So this is all I can do?"

"Do you have any homework?" Barbara asked him.

"Some," he replied with a shrug.

"Why don't we help you with your homework?" Dick suggested.

"That sounds fun," Jason replied dully, giving them a look. "I'd rather stare at the ceiling."

"Come on," Barbara said, laughing slightly as she pushed him out of his room.

She knew that she and Dick were breaking down Jason's walls. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

"Dick! Hurry up!" Barbara cried, pounding on his bedroom door. It opened, revealing his grinning face.

"Impatient, are we?"

"You're finally taking me to the cave! Of course I'm impatient!"

He gave her a one-over, stopping at the dark glasses covering her face before he chuckled. "If you're ready, then."

She nodded, and they walked down the stairs and outside to the garage. He hopped on his bike and watched as she sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest. He revved the bike and took off, closing his eyes as she let out a small laugh.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, smiling back at her.

She didn't answer, and they remained quiet as he finally rode up the garage near the booth. He typed in the code and stashed his bike, closing it behind him.

"I'm sorry I haven't brought you here sooner," he said, as they walked up to the booth. "It's been crazy with the whole Jason thing."

"I know. I understand. Is it bad that I'm nervous?"

He laughed. "Don't be. They're all a lot of fun."

"Why are we here?" she asked, looking at the booth.

"This is the zeta tube. You go first."

"Ok," she said, giving him a look before she opened the door.

She sucked in a breath as she felt an intense sensation course through her. Her eyes closed for a minute before she reopened them, nearly jumping back in shock as she saw Wally and other people standing around her.

 _Recognize: Robin, B01_

"Wow," Barbara said, looking around.

"Everyone, this is Batgirl. Batgirl, this is Kid Flash, Artemis, Aqualad, Miss. Martain, Superboy, Rocket, and Zatanna."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, shaking each of their hands. Wally lingered on her before a grin formed on his face.

"Ohhhhh, Rob, you are making this too easy for me."

"What do you mean, Kid Mouth?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. I just seem to remember meeting a redhead at your birthday party."

"Shut up, Wallace!"

"Wallace?" Batgirl replied with a laugh. Wally sighed.

"Wallace Rudolph West, to be more precise."

"I hate you, Rob," he replied, smacking his hand to his face.

"Then keep your mouth shut." He glanced over to Artemis, who gave him a thumbs up. "Batman has strict orders. Batgirl is only here to train and not go on missions, and he's allowing me to bring her out here so you all can help train her."

"We'd love to," Artemis said, squeezing her shoulder. "We'll get her ready for you, Rob."

"Should I be scared?" she asked. He chuckled.

"Artemis, Wally, want to help me train her in the gym?"

"Sure," they said.

They all walked to the gym. Artemis turned to Batgirl, offering her a grin.

"Are you the girl Wally likes to make fun of Rob for?"

"What do you mean?"

"Wally's been making fun of Robin ever since he broke up with Zatanna about him being in love with a beautiful girl from Gotham City."

"In love?" she asked in shock. "No, we're just friends. Wait, he dated Zatanna?"

"For quite a while. Eight months, I think. Zatanna ended it when she and Rob couldn't work things out."

"I didn't know about that."

"Probably doesn't want to talk about it. It tore him up, I think. Both of them."

"Did he like her?"

"A lot, but she felt like he liked someone else more. She didn't want to be in a relationship where he wasn't there all the way."

"Ready to spar?" Robin asked, grinning at her. She nodded, taking stance. "Artemis is going to be shooting arrows at you, but she won't hit you. It's to make you know how to fight and be aware of your surroundings."

Artemis prepped her bow. Batgirl nodded to Robin, who began to fight her. Artemis shot one off, causing Batgirl to use one of her batarangs to send it to the floor while avoiding a shot from Robin.

"Nice work," he said. "Training every day for almost two months now and look how far you've come."

"I can still kick your butt, Rob," she said, winking at him. He grinned.

"In your dreams, Batgirl."

"What have I told you?" Wally whispered to Artemis. She nodded, smiling softly.

"She is the girl."

"I've actually met her. She's perfect for him."

"They'll come to realize it one day."

They got into stance again, and Wally nodded to Robin. As they fought, Wally took off running, knocking Barbara down.

"Unfortunately, you have enemies like Wallace over there who you won't be able to see."

"Quit calling me Wallace!" he replied, glaring at Robin.

"Anyway," he continued on, "you have to be prepared to fight enemies like this. Several times now that's costed us because we're continuing to run into enemies we're unprepared for. Again."

They got into stance, and Wally took off again. She grabbed for some marbles from her belt, narrowly avoiding a shot from Robin, before throwing them onto the floor.

"Really, Batgirl?" his voice echoed around her. She turned to Robin, grinning as she did so.

All of the sudden the marbles ignited, knocking Wally to his feet.

"I love that trick!" Robin said, a grin plastered on his face. Wally rubbed his head.

"I'm going to hate the two of you, aren't I?"

"Probably," they replied together.

"Nice work, Batgirl," Robin said, giving her a high-five.

"Thank you, Rob."

Artemis smiled, helping Wally up off the floor. "You should have known better than to fall into that trick."

"Shut up," he replied, rubbing his head again. "You're a sneaky little mink, Batgirl."

" **Robin, Wally, report to Red Tornado."**

"I'll be right back," Robin said to Batgirl, who nodded. They walked out of the room.

"Let's get you introduced around here," Artemis said, putting her bow down. She led her out of the gym and to the living room, where the rest of the girls were.

"Batgirl!" M'gann said, getting up to hug her.

"You're friendly," she said, hugging her back.

"Ladies, the boys are away," Artemis said, plopping onto the couch. "Whatever will we do?"

"Don't be shy," Zatanna said, patting the seat next to her. "Come and talk."

She hesitated for a minute before sitting next to her.

"Nothing to be scared of," Rocket said soothingly. "We're all friends here."

"So, Batgirl, how old are you?" M'gann asked.

"I can't say, but I'm around the same age as Rob."

"Really now?" Zatanna asked, and Batgirl got a bad feeling in her stomach.

" _A lot, but she felt like he liked someone else more. She didn't want to be in a relationship where he wasn't there all the way."_

"Yes."

"What Zatanna means is that, uh, how long and Rob known each other?"

"And how did you convince Batman to let you join his team?"

She laughed. "It wasn't easy, but I can't go into details for personal reasons. Rob and I have known each other for a long time."

The girls looked at each other, a smirk filling their faces. She looked between them in confusion.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Will you excuse me?" she said, before standing up to walk out of the room.

"She likes him."

"He likes her, too," Zatanna said, turning her head towards Artemis. "I knew there was someone else."

"You should have seen them in the gym," Artemis said, smiling softly. "They were flirting without even realizing that they were."

"I give it a few months," Rocket said, sitting back on the couch.

"No, they're both too stubborn for that," Artemis replied. "I give it a long while before those two realize."

"Like you and Wally?" Zatanna said with a smile. She laughed.

"Like Wally and I, yes. It'll take them some time to realize."

"Ladies," Wally said, as he, Robin, Kaldur and Connor walked into the room. "I know you missed the Wallman."

"With every passing second," Rocket replied, rolling her eyes.

"Where's Batgirl?"

"She'll be right back."

"We like her," Artemis said, leaning back. "She's a good partner there, huh, Rob?"

He narrowed his eyes. "She's a great partner, actually."

"She seems nice, looks very pretty….."

"Where are you going with this, girlfriend of Kid Mouth?"

"Nowhere," she replied, and Wally grinned at her.

"Rob," Batgirl said, returning to the room.

"Having fun?" he asked her.

"Lots."

"They're not scaring you, are they?"

"Would we do that, Rob?" Zatanna asked, throwing a smile his way.

Barbara felt something in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes," he replied.

"I'm fine, Rob," Batgirl reassured him.

"This is one of the rare moments when we're all around," M'gann pointed out, looking amongst her team. "I want to raise a toast."

They all looked at each other in confusion before raising their own glasses. "Over a year ago, three little rule-breakers disobeyed their mentors orders and went to Cadmus to investigate a fire. Instead, they found something else. Ever since, our team has grown. Robin, Kid Flash and Aqualad rescued Superboy. I joined immediately after, then Artemis, and Zatanna and finally Rocket. Others are beginning to join us as well. We've done a lot in the last year and I couldn't be any prouder to be a part of this team. Now, Robin has brought Batgirl, and I say we welcome her with open arms. To Batgirl."

"To Batgirl," they cheered, gesturing towards her.

"Thank you," she said, raising her own glass. "I look forward to working with all of you."

* * *

"How'd you like the cave?" Dick asked, as he pulled his bike out. They climbed on.

"Everyone there is so nice," she replied, latching on tight to him. "I had a lot of fun."

"Good," he replied, taking the turns back to the manor. She rested her head on his shoulder, the wind blowing her hair around her face.

They finally arrived back to the manor, and he parked his bike into the garage. She turned to him.

"Why did you and Zatanna break up?"

He dropped his helmet and turned to her, and it was clear that he didn't want her to know. "Who told you that?"

"Artemis. She thought I knew."

He sighed. "We just didn't work out."

"How long did you date for?"

"About eight months."

"And I didn't know this?"

"I couldn't exactly tell you."

She looked away, feeling awkward. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't."

"I'm sorry it didn't work out. You two must have been a cute couple."

"It's kind of hard to be a couple when she doesn't even know my name."

"You never told her your name?" she asked in shock.

"Bruce wouldn't let me, even for Zatanna. She only knew me as Robin. Kind of hard to have a relationship that way."

"I'm sorry," she repeated, placing her hand on his arm.

"Yeah," he said, looking away. "It's water under the bridge now."

"You still got me, Dick," she said with a smile.

' _I knew you were in love with someone else,'_ Zatanna's voice rang through his head.

"Always?"

"Always," she replied, grabbing for his hand.

He squeezed her hand before turning into the mansion and leading down to the cave, spotting Bruce sitting in his chair staring at the Batcomputer.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"The information you've found about Jason," he replied, looking through the files. "GCPD sure kept a close eye on him, didn't they?"

"We got him to come around," Barbara said, staring up at the screen. "He was talking and laughing with us."

Bruce tapped his fingers against the desk. "Good."

"What are you thinking?"

Bruce took a deep breath. "He's got potential. A lot of potential. I don't know if the care center is the best place for him."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Dick asked in surprise.

"I'm thinking about taking him in. Putting him here with two people he's becoming friends with."

"Bruce," Barbara said, smiling softly.

"He needs a stable environment. With the right training, we can redirect his anger into something."

"I think it's a good idea, Bruce," Barbara said, and Dick nodded in agreement.

"You would be ok with that?" he asked his charge, who nodded.

"I would. He's already like a brother to me."

"And he would probably hit you for saying that," she replied with a grin.

"It's settled then. I'll start the paperwork in the morning. Meanwhile, how's your training going?"

"Good," Dick said, nodding his head. "She was able to take me down yesterday."

"Good," Bruce said, standing up. "Try me."

They sparred, and Bruce was impressed by how fast she attempted to take him down. After a few minutes he stopped her.

"Excellent."

"But I didn't take you down."

"You will always run into opponents who are bigger and stronger than you. You have great detective skills; they could easily match mine. Focus on your opponent's fighting techniques, and see if there's a weakness you can take advantage of."

She nodded, and he nodded his head. Dick walked up to him. "Keep training her. I'm off. Justice League business."

Dick nodded, and Bruce hopped in the Batmobile before disappearing. Dick turned to Barbara, grinning as he did so.

"You're getting a little brother."

"I guess so."

"I know it may not seem like Jason enjoys us being around all that much, but he does. Yolanda told me he lights up the room when we visit."

Dick nodded, smiling softly. "I think he'll like it here."

"I think he will, too," she replied, smiling softly at him. He was grinning at her. "What?"

"Boy, do I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" she asked in confusion, watching as he pulled a box out.

"For you, my lady."

Furrowing her brow, she opened the box, her mouth dropping open. He smiled.

"Is this my suit?"

"We redesigned it for you to make it safer. It took a lot of convincing and a lot of promises, but I finally convinced Bruce that you're ready to be out there with us in Gotham. Now you have a suit to go with it."

"Dick," she sighed, running her hands across the fabric. "I love it. Thank you!"

She hugged him. He hugged her back, burying his head into her hair. When she pulled away, he lingered, his hands resting on her arms.

"Barbara, it worries Bruce to death letting you go out there. He's very concerned that something is going to happen to you. You've got to promise me that you will follow every order we give you until you gain his trust."

"I will," she promised, grabbing hold of the suit. "I won't do anything he doesn't tell me to. My father, best friend and his father protect this city. I want to help, too."

He stared at her, smiling softly. "You sound a lot like me when I fought my way in. I broke Bruce down and so did you."

"How did you become Robin?"

"I couldn't sleep one night," he started, looking at the entrance to the cave, "so I started wandering the mansion. I spotted Alfred opening the passageway. After he had left, I snuck down here and discovered that Bruce was Batman. Of course I was spotted and scolded. I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone. Like you, I wanted to help, but being only nine-years-old, he was very hesitant. One night, I followed Bruce out, and he got into some trouble. I went down to attack.

"We managed to take the men down, but I got the scolding of a lifetime. He told me I was acting out on vengeance and I wasn't thinking clearly. I told him that I could help. Finally, like you, I broke him down, and he trained me to become Robin. He helped me find my parent's killer and put him away. He wanted me to stop after that, but I said no. I was in too deep now and I didn't want to stop. So here I am."

She rubbed his back. "Bruce must love the two of us, huh? Always challenging him."

He laughed. "We've given him a run for his money over the years."

She looked back down at her suit. Batgirl would be hitting the streets of Gotham soon.

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked, putting the dishes into the sink. "Taking in Mr. Todd, I mean."

"I am. I see the same potential I saw with Dick. He's opening up to them. Bringing him here is the best thing for him."

Alfred nodded. "Very well, sir."

Dick looked up. "He will do a lot better here, Bruce."

"If you're ready," Bruce said. "Take the afternoon off, Alfred. I'll drive."

"Thank you, Master Bruce," he replied, nodding his head.

They hopped in the car and drove off towards town. Dick couldn't help but to smile, wondering what Jason's reaction would be.

"He'll be happy about this."

"As happy as you were?"

Dick laughed slightly. "It was really hard to adjust, but thank you. You gave me a much better life."

"I'm hoping the same will work for Jason as well. Kid has a lot of courage to be stealing tires off of the Batman's car."

Dick nodded in agreement. They remained silent until they reached the building, and were led back to the interview room to wait on Jason.

"Were you this nervous when you were waiting to talk to me?" Dick asked with a smirk. Bruce looked at him.

"Do you ever stop with the wisecracking jokes?"

He shook his head. "It's my specialty."

Bruce rubbed his face. There was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal an attendant followed by Jason.

"Hello, Jason," Bruce said, standing up when the young boy entered the room.

"Hi," he said quietly, taking a seat across from him.

"How are you doing?"

He shrugged. "Ok, I guess."

"I heard about your fight."

"Really?" he asked, looking over towards Dick.

"You are not worthless. I promise you that. You were taken off of the streets so you could survive. You have a lot of potential, Jason, and I know Dick and Barbara have said the same to you. Trust me, I don't say stuff like this often."

Next to him, Dick shook his head. Bruce gave him a look before standing up

"Jason," Bruce said, bending down to be eye level with him, "I have a question I want to ask you."

He looked at him before lowering his eyes. Bruce continued on. "How would you like to come and live with me and Dick?"

Jason looked up in shock. "What?"

"I mean it," he said.

"You want to adopt me?"

"I do," he replied honestly, "if you're willing."

He looked up to Dick, who was smiling back at him. "What do you say, Jay?"

He looked between them, as though he didn't believe them. Dick bent down next to Bruce, and he clapped Jason's shoulder, reassuring him.

"No more running?" Jason asked. Dick nodded.

"No more running."


	5. Batgirl

Dick put his mask on as he waited on Barbara, who was currently putting her own suit on.

Tonight was her first night out.

He rubbed his hands together, feeling both nervous and happy that Barbara was finally joining them in the field.

"Babs?" he called out, and she came out from around the corner. His mouth formed a smile.

"What do you think?"

"You look great, Batgirl," he said, placing his hand on her arm.

"Really?"

"Really. You're going to kick some serious butt."

She laughed. "Can you tell me what this stuff is for?"

"This is your gauntlet," he said, pulling her left arm up. "You use it for research and hacking. Your utility belt has been stocked with everything you'll need. Smoke bombs, batarangs, marbles, they're all there. Your suit had been enhanced with Waynetech military grade equipment. You'll be safe, but you still need caution."

She nodded, running her hands over the suit. "I can't believe I'm actually going out there."

"Getting scared?" he asked, grinning at her. She glared at him.

"In your dreams, bird boy."

She put her cowl on, and he hunched over, laughing as hard as he could. She gave him a look.

"I'm sorry," he replied, catching his breath. "You will never catch me wearing that thing."

"You're an ass sometimes."

"You know I love it when you curse," he replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes, pushing his chest.

"I also have a surprise for you," he said, walking over to the Batmobile. She followed him, noticing two motorbikes sitting next to it.

"One for each of us," he said. She smiled.

"We're leaving," Bruce said, showing up. "There's a break-in near fifth and Carter's. Batgirl, you're with me, Robin, take the bike."

She nodded, and he grinned at her before hopping onto the bike. She got into the car, and he followed it out into Gotham. They parked a few streets away from fifth and grappled up onto the building before jumping over, eventually landing on the building opposite Carter's.

"Looks like Penguin's crew," Robin said, and Batman nodded in agreement. "All armed."

"Use stealth. Let's move."

They jumped down, and Batman and Robin took down the two men who guarded the door. Batman issued hand commands, and she was glad Dick had put her through an intense study session to memorize the codes. She followed them into the building and grappled up to the ceiling, sitting next to Robin.

Batman swopped down and took out another. Robin looked at her and nodded before they both jumped down, taking out the two men standing there.

"We've been spotted!" one of the men yelled, and they quickly grappled up to their vantage points, watching the men run around.

"It's the Bat!" another screamed out.

"Spotted. Move," Robin said, and they both jumped down to take down the remaining men. They avoided the gunshots, using their batarangs and athletic abilities to do so.

"There's a girl!" one of the men screamed. "There's another freak!"

"I'm Batgirl," she said, pulling her leg up to kick him in the chest. "Nice to meet you."

Robin laughed, taking his own man down. Batman was close behind them, taking out the multiple men surrounding him.

"Good work," he told them, as he looked around.

"Thanks, Batman."

That's how the rest of the night went as well. Dick said that this had been a quiet night, and she wondered just how busy their nights usually were.

Everything was going great until they attempted to stop Black Mask's crew.

They stayed in the shadows as they observed down below. Looking over at Batman, he issued another hand command, and she and Robin nodded in agreement before they jumped down.

She and Robin worked together to take down the multiple men, once again avoiding the gunfire. They were able to take most of them down, and she felt immensely proud of herself for everything that she has done tonight.

"Batgirl! Look out!" Robin cried, running to push her out of the way. The bullet struck her arm, causing her to cry out in pain and grab for it.

The Dynamic Duo took the remainder of the men down. They both rushed over to her.

"Let me see," Batman said, carefully lifting her arm. He took a good look. "Bullet's stuck in there. Alfred will stitch you up when we get back to the cave."

She nodded, and he pulled some gauze out of his pocket to wrap her arm. Robin flashed her a grin.

"Now you'll have battle scars, too."

"Shut up, Boy Wonder," she replied, rolling her eyes.

They drove back to the cave, and Barbara wondered if she would be lectured for getting injured her first night out on the job. They pulled into the cave and Dick parked his bike, watching as Bruce and Barbara got out of the car.

"Barbara needs patched up," Bruce told Alfred, who nodded.

"Come here, Miss. Gordon," he said, gesturing to the seat.

"Are you disappointed?" she asked softly, and Bruce hesitated for a minute before turning to her.

"Getting hurt is part of the job."

"Really?" she asked.

"You did well for your first night out. Good work."

"Thanks, Bruce."

"You'll need to take your suit off, Barbara," Alfred said, and she looked over at Dick.

"Yeah, Babs."

"Dick, upstairs," Bruce ordered. He rolled his eyes before turning up the stairs. "Patch her up."

"Right away, sir," Alfred said, before Bruce turned to walk upstairs as well. "This will hurt."

"I'm strong," she replied with a smile.

"How are you going to explain this to your father?" he asked softly, and she winced in pain as he removed the bullet.

"I'll hide it from him. It's up high enough to where it won't be noticed, and it's fall now."

He didn't say another word, but he grabbed the needle and began to stitch her up. She let out a small smile.

"I had a good night, Alfred."

"You've done good, Miss. Gordon."

"Do you think Bruce will continue to let me out?"

"I believe he will." He finished the stitches. "All done."

"Thank you," she said, looking over at the wound. She then stood up and put her suit back on.

"Be careful getting back home."

"I will, Alfred," she said, hopping onto her bike. She then drove away and back to her apartment.

* * *

"Are you ready to go, Jason?" Yolanda asked him. He looked around his room one final time.

"Ready."

"Good luck," she said, giving him a hug. "Mr. Wayne has done a wonderful job with Richard, and I know he will for you as well."

"Thanks, Yolanda," he said quietly. She nodded her head before walking with him out into the waiting room where Bruce and Alfred were waiting.

"Hello, Jason."

"Hi, Mr. Wayne."

"Bruce," he told him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he breathed out.

"Jason, this is Alfred."

"It's nice to finally meet you, young sir."

"You, too, Alfred," he said, shaking his hand.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go home," Bruce said, picking Jason's suitcase up. They walked out to the car, and Jason was immediately blinded by flashing lights.

"Mr. Wayne, why did you adopt young Mr. Todd?"

"That is now two children for you, Mr. Wayne. How is it balancing fatherhood with your lifestyle?"

"Jason, how do you feel about being adopted by Bruce Wayne?"

"Get in, Jason," Bruce said, holding the door open for him. He climbed into the car and watched as Bruce did the same, thankful that the windows were tinted.

* * *

"Hey, Barbie," Dick said, grinning. She pushed his chest.

"No. It's Babs to you, Barbie to Jay."

"He's trying to steal you away from me."

"Maybe I'll accept his offer," she replied with a grin.

"I'm heartbroken!" he cried, clutching his chest. "I thought we had a good thing going!"

"What can I say? Jason is quite the cute little charmer."

He laughed, looking out at the gate. "They should be here any minute."

"It's the last few minutes of you being an only child. How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, I'm excited. It gets so boring around here sometimes. Plus, I'm the _older_ brother. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this."

"You be nice to him," she replied, punching his arm. "Or else I'll deal with you."

"Like you can catch me all the way down there."

"Shut up," she replied, pushing him away. He grinned. "Look what I got yesterday."

"Your permit?" he said, grabbing hold of the card.

"Yup. Dad finally took me. He's going to start teaching me how to drive."

"So you can drive me places? I swear, Bruce will never let me drive."

She laughed. "It's my license. Why would I drive you?"

"Please?" he begged, pouting. "I'll take you on nice dates!"

"How can I turn that down?"

"There we go!" he replied with a grin. She laughed again.

"How do you and Bruce plan on keeping Batman and Robin a secret from Jay?"

He sighed. "It's going to be difficult, but we pretty much plan on going out after Jason goes to bed."

The gate opened, and the black car pulled up. They stood up as the car came to a stop.

"Jay!" Barbara said, giving him a hug. "How are you?"

"Hey there, Barbie," he replied, hugging her back.

"Welcome home, Jason," Dick said, clapping his shoulder.

"This place is huge," he replied, looking around. Dick picked up his suitcase.

"Why don't you and Barbara give him a tour?" Bruce suggested, and he nodded in agreement.

"Follow us," she said, and they walked into the manor. His mouth opened as he looked around.

"This is the formal living room," Dick said. "The formal dining room is right down the hall, along with the kitchen. The fun is through these doors."

He walked down the hall and opened the French doors. "This is the informal living room. This is where we hang out."

"Wow," he replied, looking around.

"Let's take you to your room," Barbara said. They walked up the stairs.

"My room's right here," Dick said, opening the first door to the left. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to knock."

"If he'll ever answer," Barbara replied, rolling her eyes. He gave her a look.

"This, Jay, is your room," he said, opening the door opposite of Dick's. Jason walked in, his mouth dropping open.

"This is my bedroom?"

"Sure is."

Dick put his suitcase down, watching as Jason sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window.

"What do you think?" Barbara asked softly, sitting next to him. Dick sat on his other side.

"I think I'm going to like it here."

"That's the spirit!" Dick replied, ruffling Jason's hair. He growled and pushed him off the bed, causing Dick to laugh.

"What did I say?" Barbara said, wrapping her arm around Jay's shoulder. "You leave this poor, sweet child alone."

Dick glared at her while Jason smiled, laying his head on her shoulder. "Yeah, Dicky, leave me alone."

`There was a knock on the door, and they looked up to see Bruce standing there. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Do you like your room, Jason?"

He nodded, unsure of what to say. "It's great, thank you."

"Good. I managed to get you enrolled in Gotham Academy starting Monday. Dick, Barbara, why don't you three head into town and get Jason some clothes, and his uniform. Get whatever you need as well."

"That's a good idea," Dick replied, standing up. Bruce nodded before turning out the door.

"I have to wear those uniforms now?" Jason said, pulling a face. "I change my mind about living here."

Barbara laughed. "It won't be that bad."

"We'll have some fun," Dick said, clapping his shoulder. "Come on, let's go to the mall."

They met Alfred down by the car, and drove off to the mall. Once they arrived they stepped out of the car and walked inside.

"Have you ever been here before?"

"No," Jason replied, looking around.

"Barbara loves to shop," Dick said, grinning at her. She gave him a look.

"You and Dick will get what you two need. I'll just follow."

"Oh, Richard!" a few girls cooed, rushing over to them. Barbara rolled her eyes, causing Jason to give her a look. Both of the girls gave her a look before smiling at Dick again.

"Ladies," he replied smoothly.

"Who is this?" one of the girls asked, looking over at Jason. Dick grinned, wrapping his arm around Jason's shoulder.

"This is Jason. Bruce just adopted him."

"He's adorable."

Jason looked to Barbara for help, and she quickly grabbed for his hand. "Jay, let's go to the food court."

"Thank you," he said, when they were out of sight.

"I hate that about Dick, too," she replied with a sigh. "He thinks he has to flirt with everyone."

"He better not try to use me again."

"I won't let him," she said, smiling at him. They walked to a table and sat down. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he replied, leaning back in his chair.

"The night you saved my life, what were you doing around tenth street? I thought you lived in Crime Alley?"

He let out a sigh. "I really don't want to talk about that."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, grabbing hold of his hand. "I was just curious, but it's not my business."

There was an awkward silence before he cleared his throat. "Would you like a pretzel?"

"That sounds great," she replied with a smile.

"Excellent," he said, standing up. He then grinned. "You know, Barbie, you'll always have me."

She laughed, rubbing his hand. "Go get my pretzel."

He pushed her slightly before disappearing. She pulled her phone out and checked it, waiting for a moment before Jason returned.

"He's still not here?" he asked, handing her a plate.

"Nope," she replied, putting emphasis on the p.

"That must really bother you."

She shrugged, tearing apart her pretzel. He nudged his head, and she looked over, seeing Dick walking up to them.

"I can't believe you two abandoned me!" he said, sitting in the chair opposite Jason.

"Maybe if you would spend less time flirting and more time helping your _brother_ get clothing, we wouldn't have."

"I wasn't flirting."

She looked down at the piece of paper in his hand. "Then whose phone number is that?"

He quickly put it away. "No one's."

Jason rolled his eyes. "You'll always have me, Barbie."

"That's why I love you, Jay," she replied, patting his hand. Dick narrowed his eyes.

"I'm starving," he said, breaking the silence, "and I see you two have ate without me, so I'll be back."

They waited for a minute for Dick to return. "How does it feel to be off the streets of Gotham and living in a billionaire's mansion?"

"It's….different," Jason replied, taking a bite of his pretzel. "It's going to take some getting used to."

"Don't let Dick fool you," Barbara said, glancing over his way. "He was born a natural showman, so he knows how to act around people. You and I are…well….a little more quiet."

"Was it fun? Being in the circus?" he asked quietly, as though debating whether to ask at all.

"It was. I miss it."

Barbara pressed her lips together. "Your parents would be so proud of you."

He looked at her, and knew exactly what she meant. _They would be proud of you. Proud of Robin._

"I think they would be, too, and I know your father is proud of you. You're top in our class."

"Look at you, Barbie," Jason said, punching her arm.

"I wouldn't say that," she replied, blushing.

"Well, you should," Dick said. "You're intelligent, Babs."

"How did you do in public school?" Barbara asked Jason, who shrugged in response.

"Ok, I guess."

"Well, if you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask, alright? I help Dick with his homework, too."

"You'll help me?"

"Of course I will," she said, rubbing his head. He smiled at her.

"You're the best."

"I've been told," she replied, winking at Dick.

"Barbara Gordon?" a boy asked, and she looked up in surprise.

"Bryan? What are you doing here?"

"I was shopping. I've been wanting to ask you if you would like to go on a date Friday night."

Dick grinned at her. She looked between them.

"I just got my license and thought I would take you to dinner and a movie?"

"I would like that," she said, nodding her head.

"Text me your address, and I'll pick you up at six."

"Will do."

He smiled at her before turning to walk away. Dick didn't let his grin drop.

"Look at you, Gordon. Got yourself a date on Friday, do we?"

"Shut up," she replied, glaring at him.

"Need an escort? I have two possible dates."

"No thanks."

"You're missing out."

"I doubt she is," Jason replied dully, finishing his pretzel. Dick gave him a look while Barbara grinned, squeezing his shoulder.

"Oh, I love having him around. More people to make fun of you with."

"What the heck, Jay? You're supposed to be on my side."

"Sorry," Barbara replied, smiling softly. "He likes me."

"Are you ready?" he asked, standing up to throw his trash away. Jason nodded and did the same.

* * *

The morning air hit Dick as he drove through the city, on his way to the mountain. With everything that has happened with Jason this week, he didn't have a lot of time. He knew once again they were worried, but he continued to reassure him that he was alright.

He finally got the opportunity to come up today.

He told Jason that he had a date, and that he wasn't sure when he'd be back.

Part of him wishes he could tell Jason about Robin. He hated lying to his brother.

Speaking of dates, he wondered how Barbara's went Friday night. He didn't get the chance to ask her after their patrol last night.

He parked his bike into the garage and walked into the photo booth, taking his shades off. He put them back on when he heard: _Recognize: Robin, B01._

For once, the entrance was empty, and he looked around, surprised about that. Stepping into the living room, he spotted Connor and M'gann sitting on the couch. They were watching TV, but his arm was wrapped around her shoulder.

"Robin!" she said, looking over at him. "Where have you been?"

"Home," he replied honestly. "I'm sorry I haven't been around."

"How are you?" Connor asked, watching as he sat down in the chair nearest him.

"I'm good. How has it been here?"

"Quiet," M'gann replied. "Batman's been giving us assignments, but it's no fun without you here."

"Try being his sidekick," Robin replied with a grin. "No, I really am sorry. How have the missions gone?"

"Ok, I suppose," Connor replied with a shrug. "We've been struggling lately."

"I know," Robin replied with a sigh. "There has to be some kind of lead we can go on."

"Wally has been looking into it, but honestly, it seems like he and Artemis aren't here much anymore."

"What do you mean? They come all the time."

"They come, but they act like they're not here half the time."

Almost as if on cue, Wally appeared around the corner, grinning as he saw Robin sitting in the chair.

"Rob! Why do you never bring Batgirl anymore?" he asked. Robin glared.

"She's busy."

"Sure she is."

"We would like to see her again. Why don't you bring her to the Thanksgiving dinner?" M'gann suggested.

"Yeah, Rob. We've all missed her."

"I'm sure you have," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I'll ask her next time I see her. She'd love to come."

"Thank you," M'gann said, smiling softly at him. "Even though she's not a part of the team yet, we'd still love to have her around from time to time."

"She really enjoyed coming here. Thank you making her feel as though she's part of the team."

"We enjoyed having her. She and Artemis got along really well," Wally said. "She's been wanting to see her again."

"I'll bring her by," he promised.

"Hi, Rob," Zatanna said, passing by.

"Hi, Z," he replied, smiling at her. She took off towards her room.

"You two were cute together," M'gann said.

"It's too complicated, at least right now."

Wally grinned at him, and he looked away, rolling his eyes behind his shades.

"Hello, everyone," Black Canary said, walking into the living room. "Are you ready for some practice?"

"Yes, mam," they answered, following her. Robin changed into his suit before joining them.

"Robin, you are the most experienced here, so why don't you assist me?" He nodded, and stood next to her. She turned to him. "I want your honest opinion: do you think you can take me down?"

He thought over it for a minute. "Yes, but it'll be complicated."

"Why?"

"You're more experienced, and you have powers. I don't."

"But you still believe you can take me down."

"I do."

She smiled softly. "Batman's doing good work with you."

She then turned to everyone else. "You all have powers, which gives you an advantage over those, such as Batman, Green Arrow, Red Arrow, Robin and Artemis, who don't. Just because you have powers doesn't mean you're invincible. You still need to fight. Poor Robin over here is going to be my sparring partner."

"Bring it on, BC," he replied, grinning at her.

She started the fight, using her cry to try to throw him off balance. He jumped out of the way and threw batarangs at her, strategies going through his head as she avoided him. Moving up to him, she began to fight him, pride growing in her as she struggled against him.

Crying again, he let out a cry, falling to his knees to knock her legs out of the way. She fell to the floor, and he managed to get a collar around her neck.

"Nice work," she said, grabbing for his hand. She removed the collar. "These things will really come in handy."

"Learned from the best," he replied with a grin.

"Show off," Wally coughed. He glared at him.

"There's no showing off about it. He's had years of experience. He thinks before he acts. That's gotten him this far, and it'll keep him going."

They partnered up and spent the next hour practicing. When Black Canary finally called it off, Robin wiped his head, feeling exhausted but proud of all he's done.

"Phew, I need to go soon," he remarked, checking the time on his phone.

"So do I," Wally said, catching his breath.

"Good work everyone," Black Canary said, looking between them.

After showering and saying goodbye to the team, Dick drove back to the mansion, barely focusing as he did so. When he finally pulled into the garage, he removed his helmet and glasses and walked inside the manor, heading into the informal living room.

"Back already?" Jason asked, glancing over in his direction. "Have a good time?"

"It was kind of dull, actually," he replied, sitting down next to him. "How was it here?"

He shrugged, flipping through the TV. "I've kept myself busy."

Dick tapped his fingers against the couch. "You know, when Barbara comes to spend the night here, we have the best time. We play games, watch movies, and order pizzas. I was thinking, as your last night of freedom, we have one of those nights. What do you say?"

Jason thought about it for a moment. He then grinned. "That'd be awesome."

"Let me go tell Alfred," he said, standing up. Jason continued flipping through the channels, more so to do it until Dick returned.

"I challenge you to a dual, Jay," he said, turning the Xbox on. He handed Jason the spare remote.

"You'll lose, _Richard_ ," Jason replied with a grin.

"I've made you dinner, sir," Alfred said a few hours later, walking up to Bruce in the Batcave. He looked at the screen and noticed that he had been watching Dick and Jason in the living room.

"Thank you," he replied, taking it from him.

"You've done a good thing, taking in Master Jason. He looks happy."

"Something told me that it was the right thing to do when we caught him in Crime Alley."

"Might I inquire something?"

"Sure."

"Jason lives here now. How much longer do you intend on keeping Batman and Robin a secret from him?"

"Not much longer. Dick figured it out in a matter of days. I expect Jason to do the same."

"You plan on telling him, then?"

"Soon. For now, let's let him get adjusted here."

"I agree. If that will be all, sir."

"Thank you, Alfred," he said, and the elderly butler turned to walk back upstairs.

"This is a good movie," Jason said, taking a handful of popcorn.

"One of my favorites. Barbara doesn't really care for it."

Jason stood up and stretched, letting out a yawn as he did so. Dick grabbed for some more popcorn.

"Bedtime," Alfred said before turning away.

Dick noticed that something was wrong with Jason, and he held back. "Is something wrong?"

"What if I don't fit in? I don't belong in a place like that."

"I felt the same way when I first started. I was a circus kid. I didn't belong in a place like that either. Barbara really helped me get through it. We will both do the same for you."

"But we're not in the same grade."

"We'll still be there. Come and find us."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Yes, really. If you need something don't hesitate to come find us."

He didn't say anything. Dick sat on the couch next to him, and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"You're in good hands, little brother." Jason looked up, and Dick smiled softly. "You have my word."

He nodded, and Dick clapped his shoulder again before standing up. Jason followed him upstairs, and they stopped outside the hallway in front of their rooms.

"If you need anything, I'm right next door."

"I'll be alright," he replied quietly. "Thanks."

"Goodnight."

"Night."

Jason turned and walked into his room. Dick hesitated for a minute before walking down the stairs and opening the passageway. He quickly changed into his Robin outfit right before Bruce walked downstairs.

"You ready?"

He nodded, and they hopped into the Batmobile, turning on the police scanner as they did so. A robbery in Chinatown sent them off that way, and they quickly got out of the car and stopped it.

But they weren't alone.

"Miss me?" Batgirl asked, a smirk filling her face. Robin grinned.

"Every minute of every day."

Looking back at the crooks, they each grinned at each other before giving them a kick to the face.

"That was easy," she replied, looking around.

"Low-level crooks. Nothing major."

"Keep moving," Batman ordered.

He pulled out his grapnel gun and grappled up to the nearest building. They followed suit, and waited in silence as Batman listened to the scanner.

"How's Jay adjusting?"

"He's doing well," Robin replied, glancing out over the city. "Scared for class tomorrow."

"I bet."

"How'd you get out of your house without your father catching you?"

"Not easy, but he fell asleep early tonight."

Batman didn't say anything, but he looked around, listening to the scanner. Dick nudged Barbara and grinned.

"Enjoying the view?"

"It's amazing," she said, looking out at the city.

"Robin, I need you to look up the name Emilio Cortez."

He pulled his gauntlet up and researched the name. "Nothing's coming up."

"It's an alias, then," he replied. "From what I'm hearing on the scanner, this could be a possible drug trafficking case."

"Where do we start, boss?" Barbara asked, pulling her own gauntlet up.

"Give me a minute."

She put the name into her own gauntlet, watching as nothing came up as well. Letting out a small sigh, she began to hack the server, watching information came up.

"Emilio Cortez is an alias for a major crime boss out of Starling City: Mason Byers. It appears Green Arrow has been collecting information on him for quite some time."

"How did you-"

Batman gave her a look. "We need to talk about this hacking business, but for now, good work."

He put his finger up to his ear. "Arrow? Arrow, you copy?"

" _Batman. What can I do for you?"_

"I need all the information you have on Mason Byers. I believe he may be working here in Gotham."

" _I'll send it to Artemis, and have her meet you wherever you would like. She and I have been investigating him here."_

"Appreciated. Tell her to meet us at Wayne Enterprises in one hour."

" _Will do."_

"Artemis is going to meet us at Wayne Enterprises in an hour."

"Awesome," Robin replied, grinning.

"Let's head over there," he replied, and they climbed back down to the vehicles. '

"I'll ride with Barbara."

"Alright," Batman said, before climbing into the car. She turned around and smiled at him.

"I didn't say you could ride with me."

"Tough," he replied, watching as she climbed onto her bike. He climbed onto the back and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

"Better watch where you put those hands, Boy Wonder."

He grinned. "Just drive, Batgirl."

She revved her bike and followed the Batmobile to Wayne Enterprises. Once there, she parked it next to the car, and they grappled up to the top of the building.

That's where they waited in silence for several minutes.

"By the way," Robin said, standing next to Batgirl, "you've been invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the cave. They really miss you."

She smiled softly. "Do they now?"

"Oh, yes. Wally has been badgering me for a while now, although he pokes more fun at me than anything."

"I'll be there."

"Excellent," he replied, rubbing his hands together.

A grapnel landed next to them, and a second later Artemis appeared.

"Artemis!" Robin said, grinning at her.

"Rob! Batgirl!"

"What do you have for us?" Batman asked, taking the folder she gave him.

"This is all the information we've collected so far. It's not much, but it should get you started. We believe he left town when we started closing in on him."

"Makes sense," Batman said, closing the folder. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Are we investigating this tonight?" Robin asked.

"We need to figure out where to start first. We'll look into when we return to the cave."

"If I could be any assistance, just let me know," Artemis said.

"Will do," Robin replied with a grin.

"I think that's a wrap up for the night," Batman said. "Let's go, Robin."

"Just a second," he said, and watched as Batman grappled down to the car.

"I better be getting home, then," Batgirl said.

"Text me when you do," he said quietly, and she nodded.

"I will. See you soon, bird boy."

He chuckled as she grappled down to her own bike. Forgetting that Artemis was behind him, she coughed and he jumped, glaring at her as he did so.

"I forgot you were there."

"That generally happens when you're concerned about Batgirl."

He closed his eyes, knowing where she was going with this. "She's my friend, Artemis."

"Text me when you get home," she replied back dreamily. He growled.

"I'm only concerned about her safety."

"I get it."

"Then why are you bringing this up?"

"I'm only looking out for your best interests, Rob."

"You need to break up with Wally," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, Rob," she said, moving to stand on the edge of the building. She watched as Batgirl drove off down the road, "I don't know who's hiding underneath that mask, for both of you, for that matter, but I can tell you really care for BG. She cares for you, too."

"She's my best friend," he finally said, as though to tell himself more than her.

"I'll tell Wally. He'll be heartbroken."

"He'll get over it."

"Before you go, I have something for you," she said, handing him a flash drive.

"What is it?"

"It's supposed to be information about what happened around New Years. I thought you would like it."

"Thanks," he replied, putting it into his belt. "I should be going."

"See you soon, bird boy."

He gave her a look before jumping down to join Bruce at the car. They drove back to the cave in silence, Dick feeling a little frustrated when he had yet to receive a text from Barbara.

He finally got one when they pulled into the cave.

' _I'm home.'_

' _ **I'm glad,'**_ he texted back.

Bruce took his suit off and went upstairs. Waiting until his mentor was out of sight, he removed his own suit, changed into the pajamas he had left down here and plugged the flash drive into the computer.

Upstairs, Jason rubbed his eyes as he walked out of his room. Walking down the stairs, he turned to the kitchen and grabbed for a glass, filling it with water as he did so.

"Jason?" Bruce asked, walking into the kitchen. "Everything ok?"

"I just wanted some water," he said, showing him the glass. "I'm going back to bed."

"Hold up," he said, grabbing onto Jason's arm. He eyed him, causing Jason to turn away. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Yeah."

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Jason shrugged. Bruce bent down until he was eye-level with him.

"You're not out there anymore. You're here now. We're here to help. Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly.

"You're not the only one," he replied. "I can't sleep most of the time, either."

"Why?"

"I have nightmares of the night my parents were killed. Dick does, too, although he would never admit it. What's yours?"

"It's just a habit. I couldn't sleep much before I came here."

"I get that. Anything I can do to help?"

"I just need to get used to being here."

Bruce stared at him. "Do you like living here?"

"It's great, thank you."

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much, but at least Dick has been helpful."

"You're busy. I understand."

"No, it's not an excuse. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Bruce."

"Dick says you're concerned about Gotham Academy tomorrow."

"Just a little nervous," Jason admitted with a sigh.

"There's no need to be nervous. Dick and Barbara are there to help, and Barbara has offered to tutor you just as she does for Dick."

"I asked Dick this question, but I never really got an answer. Why did you come to me? How did you even know?"

Bruce pressed his lips together. "That's hard to explain, but Jason, I just see so much in you. I don't know if you know this, but my parents were killed in Crime Alley. The same Crime Alley where Batman and Robin found you."

"I didn't know that," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." There was an awkward silence for a moment. "Let me show you something."

He led him into the study and stared up at the picture of his parents. "Is this them?"

"It is," Bruce replied.

"You look a lot like your father."

"I get told that a lot."

"I never knew mine," Jason said. "My mom said he's in prison for life."

"What about your mom?"

"Gone," he whispered, turning away.

He put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It just seems like we say that to each other a lot."

Bruce chuckled. "I suppose so."

"Dick told me that his parents were killed, too. I've heard about The Flying Grayson's, but I don't know what happened exactly."

"It was murder. A man named Tony Zucco rigged their equipment. I was there that night. I still see it when I close my eyes. Dick saw everything. When he was brought to the care center, they said he couldn't sleep at all. He would have continual nightmares and wake up screaming. Even when I adopted him, he was having trouble. Seeing something like that never goes away."

"How did he get through it?"

"Time. It takes time. He also had Barbara, Alfred and I to help him through it."

"You never really answered my question."

Bruce pressed his lips together, as though debating something in his mind. "It's late, Jason. You should be getting back to bed."

"Alright," he said, avoiding Bruce's eyes. "Thanks for the talk."

"Anytime."

He watched as his young charge turned to walk out of the room. When he knew Jason was upstairs, he turned to the clock and opened the passageway.

"I thought you were in bed," Bruce asked Dick, who was researching on the computer.

"I'm looking at this information we collected on the last mission."

"You should be in bed. You have school."

"I've done more on less, Bruce," he replied with a grin.

He looked at the screen. "Finding anything out?"

"Very little. The light is doing a great job covering their tracks."

"I am confident that your team will figure it out."

"What about you?" he asked softly. Bruce raised an eyebrow.

"What about me?"

"The missing sixteen hours, Bruce. Have you figured anything out?"

"No," he finally replied. "We're not any step closer to figuring it out, either."

"I've tried," Dick said, rubbing his face. "I've went through every piece of intel. Nothing is coming up."

"You've done enough," Bruce said, clapping his shoulder. "You are a teenager and in school. You need to be focusing on your studies."

"I'm doing fine. I'm more concerned about you."

"Don't be. We'll get this figured out. For now, you need to go to bed. Jason needs you tomorrow."

Dick leaned back in his seat and sighed. "I'm not letting this go, Bruce."

"I know you're not. However, you are fifteen and still a minor. That means you follow my orders. Bed. Now."

He rolled his eyes, smiling softly. "Yes, father sir."

Bruce closed his eyes and shook his head as Dick stood up and walked out of the cave. He then sat in the chair and looked over the intel Dick had been looking over, frustrated as he found nothing as well.

* * *

His alarm the next morning woke Dick up. He quickly jumped out of bed and took a shower, changing into his uniform. He gelled his hair back before exiting his room, wanting to see how Jason was doing.

He knocked on his door. "Jason?"

"Come in."

He opened the door, and he held back a laugh as Jason struggled to tie his tie. "Let me help."

"I hate this," he replied, watching as Dick tied his tie for him.

"It'll grow on you."

"Do I have to do that to my hair?"

"It's encouraged," he replied with a shrug. "There you go."

"Thanks," he replied, buttoning up his jacket. Dick walked into his bathroom and grabbed the hair gel before returning, putting some of it into Jason's hair. He growled, punching Dick in the stomach.

"Grayson!"

Dick laughed, coughing slightly. "Trust me, you'll want to do this."

He growled again, slicking back his hair. Dick clapped his shoulder before grabbing for his book bag, making sure Jason had everything he needed.

"Are you ready for breakfast?"

"I suppose," he replied with a shrug. They walked downstairs to the kitchen and sat down, watching as Alfred put plates in front of them.

"Morning," Bruce replied, looking up from the paper. "All ready then, Jason?"

"Just about," he replied quietly, taking small bites of his breakfast.

"Barbara and I will keep an eye on him, Bruce," Dick replied, grinning at Jason from across the table. "No worries."

Bruce didn't say anything, but he gave Dick the "You better or I'll deal with you myself" look.

"Are you not hungry, Jason?" he asked.

"He's just a little nervous," Dick answered, gently squeezing Jay's shoulder.

"There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll do just fine."

"Thanks, Bruce," Jason replied, playing with his eggs.

"I need to get going. Good luck today."

They nodded, and watched as he walked out of the kitchen. Quickly finishing their breakfasts, they brushed their teeth and joined Alfred at the car.

"I hate wearing ties," Jason said, pulling on it. Dick chuckled.

"You'll get used to it."

"What was your first day like?"

"About like yours. I hated wearing that uniform."

He didn't say anything, but continued to look out the window. They remained silent until they pulled into Gotham Academy.

"Good luck today, Master Jason," Alfred said, and Dick helped him out of the car.

"Thanks, Alfred," he said quietly. With a nod, Dick closed the door and watched as he drove off.

"Don't be nervous," he consoled. "It'll be better than you think it is."

He didn't say anything. Dick walked him up to the building, spotting a blonde-haired girl waiting there.

"Hi, Dick," she said, smiling at him. Jason narrowed his eyes as he looked up at Dick, who was grinning in response.

"Hello, Christina. This is Jason."

"Hello, Jason. I'll be showing you around."

"Take good care of him for me," he replied with a grin. Her smile broadened.

"Oh, I will."

He turned to Jason, who looked uncomfortable. "Come find me if you need anything."

He nodded, and followed Christina. Dick watched them for a moment before finding Barbara at her locker.

"How's Jason?"

"He's doing alright. He's going through orientation. How are you today, Babs?"

She eyed him. "Fine."

"You never did answer my question," he replied, leaning up against the locker with his arms crossed.

"About what?"

"Your date with Bryan. How'd it go?"

"It was nice," she replied, putting her book into her bag.

"Did you kiss him?"

"Why are you so interested?" she asked.

"Just curious."

"It's not your business, Grayson, but, yes, we kissed."

"Good for you, Gordon!" he replied, punching her arm. She rolled her eyes.

"Are you satisfied?"

The bell rang. "Gotta go, red. See you at lunch?"

"Always. By the way, he kissed me about ten minutes ago, too."

He smirked. "Look at you."

She winked at him before turning the opposite direction. A grin was still plastered on his face as he walked to his class.

That's when he saw it.

He saw Bryan kissing another girl.

Anger coursed through his system. He formed his hands into fists, his nails digging deep into his skin.

He wanted to punch him.

The girl disappeared, and he walked up to him. He shoved his chest, causing Bryan to glare at him.

"What do you want, rich boy?"

"Barbara Gordon, remember her? Your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend? Please. Katie got super jealous when she saw us together."

"So you used her?!" he nearly screamed, pushing his chest again.

"Touch me again, pint size!" he growled.

Dick raised his fist up and punched him in the mouth. Grabbing for his jaw, Bryan attempted to hit back, but Dick moved out of the way, kneeing him in the gut.

"What do we have here?" a woman said, walking up to them. "Both of you to my office, now."

* * *

Dick rested his head against the wall, awaiting his turn to talk to the principal. He knew that Bruce had been called, and is probably on his way, but at this moment he didn't care.

He was still angry.

He knew he had to tell Barbara, and had been debating in his head for the last half-hour on how to tell her. Would she cry? Would she scream?

He didn't know how to handle this.

"Dick?" Bruce said, walking up to him. Dick turned his head away. "Why am I getting called away from my office?"

"I got into a fight," he replied dully, looking at the wall in front of him.

"Why?"

Dick didn't answer, but continued to rub his fist, which had been hurting ever since he socked Bryan in the jaw. Bruce gave him another look.

"It's Jason's first day here and you're in the principal's office."

"I'm sorry, Bruce," he replied quietly. "It won't happen again."

The door opened, and Bryan walked out, glaring at Dick as he did so.

"Mr. Wayne," Mrs. Doyle said, "Richard, please step inside."

They both walked in and sat at the chairs in front of her desk. She let out a deep breath before sitting in her own seat.

"We have very strict rules here, Mr. Grayson. You are not a new student, and you should know what they are. Fighting is against the rules, and Bryan said that you started the fight."

Dick didn't answer. Bruce looked at him. "Did you start the fight?"

"Yes," he finally replied, looking down. Bruce closed his eyes and rubbed his head.

"Why did you start a fight with him?"

He didn't answer again. "She asked you a question. Answer."

"Because he kissed another girl and admitted to me that he used Barbara."

"That's why you got into a fight?" Bruce asked in shock. Dick nodded, running his hand through his hair.

"I hope it was worth it, Richard, because you're in some trouble now."

"What's his punishment?" Bruce asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Since he's never gotten into trouble before, I am assigning a week's worth of detention after school with me."

"I promise you that he will receive punishment as well."

"Bruce!"

"Quiet," he ordered, looking over towards him.

"Thank you for coming down," Doyle said, standing up to shake his hand.

"Thanks for calling me."

"You both may go. Here is your note for your, Richard. I shall see you in my office at three-o-clock."

"Yes, mam," he replied, grabbing hold of the note. Bruce nodded to her before walking out of the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, he turned back to Dick.

"You're mad, I get it," Dick said, looking away from him.

"We'll talk about it at home. I have to return to the office. Alfred will pick Jason and Barbara up, and I'll pick you up after detention."

"Yes, sir," he replied, and watched as Bruce turned to walk out of the building.

* * *

"How was detention?" Bruce asked, as they drove back home.

"It sucked."

"That's the point. What were you thinking?"

"I was mad, alright!" he said, a little louder than he intended. "I can't believe he did that to her!"

"I seem to remember when Barbara was attacked a few months ago, and you nearly jeopardized a mission because you let your emotions get the best of you."

"What do you want me to say, Bruce? I'm sorry."

Bruce didn't say anything for a few minutes. "You're grounded for two weeks."

"Fine," he replied, looking out the window.

"What has gotten into you lately? You've never acted like this before."

"I'm sorry if I'm not going to sit around while my best friend gets hurt."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do anything," Bruce said sharply, "but you went too far. You're lucky you didn't get suspended!"

Dick didn't say anything, but ran his hand through his hair. They pulled into the manor, and he quickly got out of the car.

"Dick!" Barbara said, getting up from the couch as soon as he walked into the living room. "Where have you been? I texted you and you didn't text me back."

"I've been in detention," he said, and she gave him a concerned look. Jason's head popped up from the chair.

"Why were you in detention?"

"Barbara, can we talk?" he asked quietly, his heart breaking at telling her the news.

"Sure," she replied, moving to sit on the couch. "Is something wrong?"

"Actually, there is," he replied, and Jason looked over at them. "Babs, I don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" she asked, concern written all over her face. He bit his lip.

"I saw Bryan kissing a girl at school today. I'm so sorry."

Her face turned to shock as she shook her head. "No."

"I'm so sorry, Babs," he replied, wrapping his arms around her. Jason stood up from his chair and laid his hand on her arm.

"I'm so stupid," she whispered, burying her head into Dick's shoulder.

"You're not stupid. He's the idiot."

"I can go kick his ass, Barbie," Jason said soothingly. Despite herself, she laughed.

"Language, Jay, but thank you. I'll take care of this."

Dick rubbed her back. "Jay, why don't you go get her some tea."

He nodded, and walked to the kitchen. Dick held on tight to her as he felt his shirt get wet.

"Babs, don't cry," he whispered soothingly.

"I fell for him, Dick. I thought he liked me."

"You deserve better than him," he said. "You deserve someone who will treat you right."

"I should have listened to dad. He told me not to go out with him. I thought he was being overprotective again."

"I, er, took care of the situation."

Her head popped up. "What did you do?"

"We got into a fight after I caught him this morning. That's why I'm in detention."

"Dick!" she said, pushing him away. "I don't need you fighting my battles for me!"

"I was mad. I was really mad at him. He hurt you and I wanted to hurt him for it."

"Dick," she sighed, pressing her hand to her head. "Please don't get in trouble for me."

"I'll always get in trouble for you," he whispered, and she looked over at him, remembering the last time he told her that.

When he knew he would get in trouble about her finding out about Robin.

" _You're willing to get into that much trouble for me?"_

" _Always."_

She wrapped her arms around him again. He gently rubbed her back.

"I guess I can always count on you to save the day."

He chuckled. Jason returned to the room, furrowing his brow.

"Everything alright?"

"Come here, Jay," Barbara said, holding her arm out. He walked into them and gave her a hug.

* * *

A knock on her door caused Barbara to jump up from her seat on the couch. She quickly opened the door, grinning slightly when she saw Dick standing there.

"What are you doing at my apartment?"

"I am here to pick you up, m'lady," he replied, kissing her hand.

"You're acting weird," she replied with a laugh.

"Are you ready?" he asked. She nodded, grabbing for her bag.

"Grayson?" Jim said, poking his head around the corner.

"Hi, Mr. Gordon," he replied awkwardly.

"What are you two doing today?" he asked, looking between them.

"We're just hanging out at the mall."

"Have fun," he replied, eyeing Dick. Dick looked away.

"I'll be back later, dad," she said.

He looked between them, and she quickly pushed Dick out of the apartment. Once they were downstairs, she turned to him.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. My bike's outside."

"Cool," she replied, following him.

"Not to question anything," he said, climbing onto his bike, "but, your dad doesn't like me, does he?"

"He likes you," she sighed out. "He's….concerned."

"Concerned? About what?"

"Me. He, like everyone else in the world, think you and I are dating."

Dick clicked his tongue. "Apparently, the day after I broke my ribs and you came to visit, Alfred caught us in my bed together. Bruce must have told your father."

"So they think we're doing _that_?"

"I guess so," he replied with a shrug. "Bruce gave me the talk."

"How did that go?" she asked through the helmet as he began to drive off. He shrugged.

"It was pretty awkward, to be honest."

"My dad tried to give me the talk, but it's pretty awkward since I'm a girl."

He didn't say anything for a minute. "I'm sorry you don't have your mother to talk to about this."

"It's not your fault. I have my father, and that's all I need."

"Not me?" he asked, and she knew he was grinning.

"Jason! I can't believe I forgot about Jay!"

"Harsh," he replied, and she laughed.

"You too, circus boy."

"That's better."

They arrived at the photo booth, and he parked his bike into the garage. They pulled out their shades and put them on.

"After you."

"Aren't you sweet," she replied, rolling her eyes. She stepped into the booth and reappeared in Mount Justice.

"Batgirl!" Artemis said, giving her a hug. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Robin said you all have missed me."

"We have," M'gann said, giving her a hug. "You should come by more often."

"I'll try."

"Look who we have here," Wally said, sliding up next to her. "It's been a while, Batgirl."

"Wally," Robin cautioned, walking up to her.

"Just saying hi," he replied.

"Nice to see you again, Wally."

"How's the newbie?" he asked, turning to Robin once Artemis and M'gann turned around.

"Jay? He's doing well."

"Does he know about Batman and Robin?"

"No," Robin replied, shaking his head. "At least not yet. It's only a matter of time."

"And if he does find out?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"And how are you adjusting?" Wally asked, turning to Batgirl. "I'm hearing interesting things about a girl vigilante in Gotham City."

"Oh, really?" Batgirl asked, smiling softly. "What would that be?"

"That she can kick some serious ass," Artemis replied with a grin, walking back up to them.

"I heard that, too," he replied, grinning.

"I told you that you were ready," Robin replied clapping her shoulder.

"Congratulations," Artemis said, clanking their glasses together.

"It's not easy being out there," Connor started, "but it's thrilling."

"It sure is," Batgirl replied, nodding in agreement.

Aqualad came in followed by an unknown boy and girl.

"Tula!" Artemis said, giving her a hug. "I don't believe you've met Batgirl."

"Nice to meet you," Tula said, shaking her hand.

"Batgirl, this is Tula and Garth," Aqualad said, introducing them. "Batgirl is joining our team soon."

"That's wonderful!" Tula said.

"It's nice to meet you," Batgirl said, shaking Garth's hand.

"Same with you. How long have you been going?"

"A couple of weeks."

"I think everything is ready," M'gann said, and they all gathered around the table.

"It smells amazing, M'gann," Connor said, kissing her cheek.

"Dig in, everyone," she said, gesturing to all the food around her.

"You and all that food," Batgirl told Robin, as he sat down next to her. He grinned.

"I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"You two sound like an old married couple," Wally said. Robin glared at him.

"Coming from you and Artemis?"

"Touché."

Batgirl laughed. "Robin said you two have been friends for quite some time."

"About four years, yeah."

"Red Arrow's not here?" Robin asked, looking around.

"We tried to get him to come," Wally replied, dropping his head. "He wouldn't."

Robin sighed. "He's going to let this eat at him, isn't he?"

"Most likely."

"M'gann, Connor, this is amazing," Zatanna said.

"Thank you," they answered together.

"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone," Batgirl said, raising her glass. They all followed suit and raised their own glasses.

"Happy Thanksgiving!"

* * *

"I think I'm in a food coma," Batgirl told Robin sometime later as they sat on the couch. He chuckled.

"Me, too."

"Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're a part of this team as well, BG. Well, almost."

She laughed. "When do you think Batman will let me join?"

"When you gain more experience. It's one thing to be out there with him, but it's another to be on your own. You're impressing him, though. Trust me."

"I learned from the best," she replied, smiling at him.

"When you join the team as well, you'll go through Justice League training like I did. You'll be an unstoppable crime fighter in no time."

She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Zatanna glance at them, smiling at Robin as she did so.

"We should be going soon," he replied, looking at his watch. She nodded, grabbing for her bag.

"We have to get going," Robin addressed to everyone. "Thanks for dinner."

"Thanks for bringing Batgirl back. We've missed her."

She smiled. "I'll come by more often. Thank you."

"See you both soon."

They went back though the zeta tube and arrived in Gotham. He pulled his bike from the garage and they hopped on, riding back to her apartment quietly.

"Still coming to Thanksgiving at the manor?" he asked, when she climbed off.

"Dad and I both are. Tomorrow at six, right?"

"See you then, Babs," he replied with a grin. He put his helmet on and sped off. She watched him as he did, smiling softly before turning into her apartment building, wanting nothing more than to change into her pajamas and go to bed.

* * *

"Do you need any help, Alfred?" Jason asked, walking into the kitchen.

"I am just fine, young sir. I do have something for you, though," he replied, sneaking Jason a cookie. "Our secret."

"You're the best," he replied with a grin, biting into the cookie.

"I see how it is, Alfred," Dick said, walking into the kitchen.

"Don't worry, Master Richard. I have one for you, too."

"Awesome," he replied, sitting down next to Jason. "Alfred always sneaks me dessert on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. It's a good tradition."

"And I plan to continue it with Master Jason."

Jason grinned. "You've been kicked out, Dick."

"I figured it would happen sooner or later," he replied with a fake sigh.

"You will both be on your best behavior I assume?"

"We always are, Alfred," Dick replied, grinning.

"We're insulted here," Jason replied.

The doorbell rang, and the boys looked at each other. "Barbara!"

"We'll get it, Alfred," Dick said, and they stood up to answer the door.

"Barbie!" Jason said, grinning as she and Jim walked into the mansion. Dick walked up next to him.

"Hi, Jay, Dick. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Jim," Bruce said, shaking his hand.

"Thank you for inviting us."

"Thanks for coming."

"Mr. Todd," Jim said, eyeing him. "It's been a while."

"Commissioner Gordon," he replied dully, looking away from him. Dick, Barbara and Bruce all looked at each other.

"I'm glad to see you're in a good environment and off the streets."

"I'm glad I'm not behind bars again."

"Jason," Dick warned quietly, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Behind bars?" Barbara asked.

"Jason is adjusting well," Bruce said, walking to the other side of Jason.

"I'm glad to hear that," Jim said. "It really is a relief that one less child is off the streets."

"Let's go into the living room, and I'll pour you a drink."

The kids watched as the two adults walked out of the room. Barbara then turned to Jason. "Behind bars?"

"They tried to pin some crimes on me, but the charges were dropped."

"What crimes?"

"Petty theft."

"Jay," she said sadly.

"He's better now, Barbara," Dick said, smiling at him. "Let's leave that in the past. It's Thanksgiving, and for once Bruce isn't having a huge party. It's just us, and all that food."

"And I'm sure Dick will eat most of it," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm hungry," he replied with a shrug.

Back in the living room, Bruce and Jim were talking.

"How's Jason?"

"He's doing a lot better than I expected. Dick and Barbara are making him feel right at home."

"You've done a good thing. He doesn't belong out there. He belongs here."

"I agree," Bruce said, moving to look at the children in the foyer.

And that thought didn't leave him as they sat around the table, enjoying the meal that Alfred had prepared. Everyone was happy, talking with one another. Barbara said a joke, and Jason smiled, a small laugh escaping his lips. Bruce hid a smile himself.

They may have just saved him after all.


	6. Passings

"Still grounded?" Barbara asked, as she and Dick worked on their fighting techniques. He nodded.

"Yup."

"You shouldn't have done that," she said, jumping out of the way to avoid an attack from him.

"You should know me better than that," he replied, smashing her side carefully with his staff.

She didn't reply, but she kicked his stomach, watching as he toppled over in pain.

"Dick!" she said, helping him back up.

"Nice shot," he grunted out, rubbing his stomach.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no! That was perfect."

"Can you breathe?" she said with a laugh.

"Somewhat. You may be tiny, but you've got power to you."

"I'm not that small, you know."

"Pretty hard to see you down there."

She rolled her eyes. "I feel like kicking you in the stomach again."

"No. Right now we need to practice maneuver eight."

"What's that?"

"I throw you up in the air."

"Cute," she replied sarcastically.

"I'm serious."

She gave him a look, and he put his hands together. "Give yourself a running start."

"Ok," she replied slowly, backing up slightly. She started running towards him, and she jumped in his hands and felt him throw her in the air. She flew for a bit before landing back on the floor.

"Nice," he replied.

"That was fun," she replied with a grin.

"You're coming along nicely," he said, grinning at her. "I knew your gymnastics background would help you here."

Bruce walked down the stairs. "Get your suits on."

"Why?"

"Because we're telling Jason. Right now."

"You're telling him?"

"You both found out on your own, and you shouldn't have. We're telling him."

They all went to change before returning to the computer. Dick looked directly at Bruce.

"You know he'll want to join us."

"I know, and he's going to get that offer. Alfred, go get him."

"Right away, sir," he replied, before turning to walk up the stairs. Barbara put her cowl over her head, letting out a soft breath.

"He's going to be very surprised."

"I know," Dick said, grinning slightly.

Back upstairs, Alfred stopped outside of Jason's room and knocked on the door. He waited for a minute before he heard "come in."

"Master Jason?" he asked, walking up to him. Jason looked up. "I have something to show you."

Jason looked at him in confusion before following the elderly butler downstairs. They walked into the study and he stopped in front of the clock. "Alfred?"

Alfred smiled softly before he changed the time. It opened, and Jason's mouth opened in surprise as he walked down the stairs.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Batman, Robin and Batgirl sitting there, clearly waiting for him.

"Hello, Jason."

"Bruce?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Hi, Jay," Dick said, removing his mask. Jason looked between them in shock.

"You're Batman and Robin? Barbie is Batgirl?"

"You continued to ask Dick and I why I chose you. It's because _we're_ the ones who found you."

Dick stood up and walked in front of Jason. "I promised you that things would be better. That you would get the help that you needed. We made that promise happen. You live here now, and you live with Batman and Robin."

He looked at him in shock, unsure of what to say.

"When I first came here, I figured it out after a few days. Bruce took me in and trained me, and helped me catch my parent's killer. Barbara started this a few months ago, and just a few weeks ago went out for the first time."

"So, why reveal it to me?" he asked quietly.

"You've been here for a few weeks now," Bruce said, standing up. "Instead of you figuring it out, I wanted to tell you in person."

"That's how you knew I was in the care center. You both put me there."

"We did," Dick replied.

"I told you that I've seen a lot of potential in you, Jason. That is why, if you're willing, we can start training you."

"To become a sidekick?" he asked. Bruce nodded.

"If you wish. I was very hesitant to let Barbara start for several reasons, but she has proved to me that she belongs out there, too. It's your turn now."

Jason looked at Barbara, who removed her cowl and smiled at him. "I fought my way in here. You, Dick, Bruce and I can do a lot together, if you're willing."

"And what would I become?"

"That is up to you," Dick whispered, kneeling down in front of him. "You have to train, first, though."

He looked between them, grinning. "I want to do this."

Dick grinned back at him. "I figured you would."

"But you only go out when I say so," Bruce said firmly, and Jason nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"That's settled then. I need to take care of something upstairs, then we can all leave for patrol."

They nodded, and watched as he disappeared upstairs. Jason turned back to them.

"Where have you been going?" he asked, and Dick looked up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You either have a lot of dates, or you're going somewhere as Robin."

He smiled softly. "You're clever."

"So I'm right, then?"

"Yeah," he said, sitting down across from Jay. "OK. On the Fourth of July last year, Kid Flash, Speedy, Aqualad and I were supposed to get into the Hall of Justice for the first time. We did, but Speedy grew mad and said that we're still being treated like sidekicks. He left. When the adults had left, we discovered a fire at Cadmus. A fire that led us to Superboy.

"We disobeyed orders. We were supposed to have stayed at the Hall of Justice. When they discovered what we did, they weren't happy, of course. They ordered us to stand down. We refused. Speedy had been right. We were still treated like sidekicks. What happened next changed all of our lives."

"What happened?" Jason asked, clearly interested in the story. Barbara and Dick smiled.

"We started a team. Batman gives us covert missions, and we travel around the world following those orders….mostly. That's where I've been going, Jay. I've been going to Mount Justice to see the team."

"Is Barbie a part of it?" he asked softly.

"Not officially," she said quietly. "I've met the team, but Batman hasn't given me consent to join yet."

"When will you?"

"I don't know," she said softly. "Bruce is very protective, believe it or not. He didn't want me doing this to begin with, but, like Robin and the rest of the team, I have a habit of fighting back. As for joining the team, well, I don't see it in my near future."

"You're impressing him. He even told Jay that."

"Is it because you're the commissioner's kid?"

"Yeah. He and my father are really good friends. Bruce is afraid that, if anything ever happens to me, my father would never forgive him. Bruce has allowed me to come this far, I'm not challenging his rules anymore. If he doesn't want me to join the team yet, then I won't. I'll continue my training with you, Jay, and that's perfect for me for now."

"Do you think he'd let me join when I'm ready?"

"It will take some time, but I believe he will. We have to get you there first, though. Barbara trained for a little over two months before Bruce let her out. I expect the same for you."

He flashed a smile at her. "Look at you, Barbie."

"Barbara has her own bike. If Bruce and I are gone, then she can come up here and train you."

"How'd you come up with Robin?"

Dick looked at Barbara. "When I was in the circus, my mother used to tell me that I looked like a Robin in the air. She told me that constantly. When I was coming up with my outfit, it was all I could think about. Robin, Robin, Robin. That's how I came up with the suit."

"What about you?" he asked, turning to Barbara.

"Mine was a lot harder," she replied with a small laugh. "I couldn't think of anything. Dick and I were talking down here one night, and I looked at Bruce's suit, and I wanted something similar to that. All of a sudden, the name Batgirl just popped into my head, and I fell in love with it."

"Master Jason," Alfred said, walking down to the cave, "it is time for bed."

"I suppose you're going out then?" he asked them, and they nodded in response.

"We'll be back soon."

He nodded, and turned to walk up the stairs. Alfred followed behind him.

"He's excited," she said, smiling softly as they disappeared behind the clock.

"Yeah," Dick replied, standing up. He moved to the glass case where his spare suit was resting. She stood up as well, following him over to it.

"And if Jason does become a sidekick?"

Dick looked up at the Robin suit. "Then he becomes Robin."

"What?" she asked in shock, turning to look at him.

"I can't be Robin forever," he replied quietly. "Robin can go to Jay, if he chooses."

"You created Robin. Do you really think it would be so easy for you to give him up?"

"As long as I know he's going to someone who deserves it, then yes, I do. Jason deserves it."

"What will you do?"

"I designed Robin. I helped you design Batgirl. I can come up with something."

"And have you talked to Bruce about this? You've been his Robin for six years."

"No," he replied with sigh. "I don't know how he'll take it."

"You should definitely talk to Bruce about this before you talk to Jason."

"I know. It's just-after everything that happened with Red Arrow, how do I tell my mentor that I don't want to be his partner anymore?"

"It's not like you're completely leaving," she said, turning to look at him. "You still live here, and you'll still be helping Bruce out. You just won't be Robin anymore."

"It's like you said, I've been his partner for six years. I don't know how he'll take it."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "I think Bruce will be upset, but he'll understand."

* * *

Robin stood in his room at Mount Justice, putting on the multiple layers to keep himself warm. They all knew that they would be fighting outside, and with the plummeting temperatures, he made sure he would be warm while still being able to fight.

Taking one last look at himself, he quickly walked out of his room and joined the rest of the team, who was huddled around Aqualad.

"Are we ready?" Artemis asked, putting her jacket on.

"Just about," Wally said.

Robin zipped up his own coat, not quite ready for what this mission would entail. Beside him, Artemis filled her quiver.

"You and me, Rob," she said softly, and he turned to grin at her.

"We're a good combination, Artemis."

"I'm jealous," Wally said, looking disappointed.

"I know you'll miss me," Robin said, puffing his chest.

"I could care less about you."

"Harsh, Wally," Artemis said.

"Don't worry, Art, I'll get him back later."

Aqualad walked up, looking between everyone. "It's time to go."

They nodded. He turned to Artemis, who nodded in response.

It reminded him of the time when the cave was under attack, and it was just the two of them. He remembered how scared she was. He remembered how he told her to get traught, and she did. She was able to get the EMP to activate. Now she helped whenever she could, no matter how dangerous the mission.

' _Man, a lot has changed since then.'_

"Let's go, Rob," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. He nodded and followed her into the bioship, sitting next to Zatanna.

"I'm not that skilled yet, Rob," she said softly and quietly, and he looked over, smiling softly.

"I know you, Z. You can do anything."

"My father used to teach me. I have to teach myself now. It's a lot harder."

He reached over to grasp her hand, without realizing that he did so, and she looked away. "Z, you can do this. I know you can."

"Thanks, Rob," she replied, and he nodded.

He looked back down to their hands and quickly pulled his back, looking away from her. He stared out the window, his heart pounding in his chest.

He hadn't felt this way since Zatanna first kissed him.

"Drop zone alpha," Aqualad said, and he and Artemis stood up, watching the opening. They jumped through it and landed on the ground, nodding to one another as they did so.

Turning to their left, they started traveling through the tunnel. Halfway through, Robin stopped and pulled out his gauntlet, his brow furrowing in confusion as he looked through it again.

"I don't understand."

"What?" she asked.

"There should be an opening here. That's how we're supposed to get through."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking at the schematics.

"Yeah, look," he said, pointing to the opening. "The opening should be right here."

She ran her hand across the wall. "Maybe there's a switch?"

They looked around, unable to find any sort of a passageway. He growled in frustration as he pounded on the wall.

"Rob, calm down," she said, reaching her hand over to him. "We'll figure it out."

He let out a frustrated sigh. "It has to be here."

She stared at him for a minute. "Has anyone ever told you you're a lot like Batman?"

"What?" he asked, turning towards her. "What do you mean?"

"Just the way you act," she replied with a smile. "When something frustrates you, you let it out. You stare at a problem until you can solve it. That what's Arrow says Batman does."

Robin closed his eyes. "I'd like to say that I'm a little different."

"It's not a bad thing," she replied. "I just found that fascinating."

He ran his hand up the wall, still trying to figure out where the passageway could be. "We're running late. We need to get moving."

"Unless you have another idea, we're stuck here."

He rubbed his head before pulling his gauntlet back up. "Something's not adding up here. It has to be here."

She pressed her lips together and looked around, her eyes falling below his feet. "What's that you're stepping on?"

"Hmm?" he asked, moving out of the way. He looked down at the pile of rubble beneath his feet before bending down to sweep it away. "It's a switch! Artemis, you're brilliant!"

"Losing your touch, Rob."

He ignored her as he pulled the switch, watching the floor beneath the switch opened. He looked up at her before falling through the hole, moving out of the way so she could too.

"Where to?"

"This way," he said, pulling his gauntlet back out. They turned right, and he hacked into the security terminal. "We're in."

"Aqualad, alpha's a go," Artemis said, putting her finger up to her ear.

" **Acknowledged."**

Robin rubbed his neck, waiting for the door to open. After a moment it did, and he nodded to her before they looked around the corner.

"Five men. Possibly armed," she said quietly, getting her bow out.

"Should be easy."

She grinned at him before they rounded the corner. She took to the right while he stayed on the left, narrowly avoiding a blow to his face. Pulling his smoke bomb out, he quickly threw it and turned on his detective vision, taking out the remainder of the men as they coughed through the smoke.

"A little warning next time?" Artemis asked, coughing slightly while glaring at him.

"Sorry," he replied, plugging in his gauntlet to the computer. He searched through the documents, collecting anything that may be useful.

"I wonder how everyone else is doing," she said quietly. "I don't like that they're the distraction."

He looked up at her. "We need whatever we can find, Art. We need time to find it."

She looked around the corner. "We don't have a lot of time. They'll be communicating soon."

"Almost done," he said, putting a bug onto the laptop. He quickly unhooked his gauntlet before setting it off, watching as the computer fried. "Let's get out of here."

They walked back through the hall and past the door. Robin attempted to open the door, finding it unsuccessful.

"Step aside," she said, shooting one of her arrows at the lock. They backed away before it exploded, causing the lock to bust open. They ran through the door and out to their team, who was fighting off the rest of the crew.

"Need any help?" Robin asked Superboy, who grinned in response.

"Could always use it."

He stood back to back with Connor, watching as the men circled around them. He jumped up and started to attack them, watching as he did the same on the other side. Aqualad and Tula weren't far behind, neither were Wally and Artemis. Zatanna was up above, using her magic to help clear the way.

Robin was suddenly knocked to his knees. A sword was held to his throat.

"Careful there, Boy Wonder."

"Bad mistake, pin head," he replied, smashing his staff into the guy's leg. He turned around and knocked him unconscious.

"He got you," Wally said, running up to him. Robin looked down at his arm.

"I'm fine."

Wally quickly wrapped up his arm. "Did you shut the system down?"

"I sure hope so."

* * *

"Are you my trainer today, Barbie?" Jason asked, walking with her down to the Batcave.

"Bruce and Dick are busy with the team, so yes."

"What do you plan on working on?"

"How are your athletic abilities?"

He shrugged. "Not the best, I guess."

"We can work on that," she said with a soothing voice. "For now, let's start you with some basic combat. I want you to attack me, alright? Don't hold back."

"I don't want to attack you."

"Cause I'm a girl?"

"Because you're my friend."

She smiled. "As happy as I am to hear that, you may have to fight off friends, Jay. Dick told me the story of what happened around New Years. Bruce had been taken control of, and Dick ended up having to fight him to try to save him. You never know what could happen to any of us. You need to fight us even if you don't want to."

"Did he win?"

"Dick didn't say. I don't think he wanted to." There was an awkward silence for a moment. "I know you can fight. I watched you that night fight off the attacker. I could only see so much, but I did see the kid after you took off. He looked pretty beat up."

He looked away, and she could swear there was a small smile on his face. "He was easy."

"I still owe you one, by the way."

"You don't owe me anything."

She ruffled his hair. "Alright, back to business. We need to get you ready."

He nodded, and she got into stance. He followed her. "On your mark, Jay."

"Mark," he said, and she started to attack him, completely impressed when he was able to take her down. He grinned down at her.

"Great job," she said, and he got off and helped her up. "Let's keep going."

They practiced for the next half-hour before she called it quits, trying to hold back a laugh when he moaned in annoyance. She grabbed for two chairs and pulled them up.

"Bruce likes to use hand codes to order us when we can't talk. While you're resting, let's start learning those."

"Anything for you, Barbie," he replied, smiling at her. She smiled back.

Another half-hour went by before they heard a rev of an engine. Turning around, they spotted Dick pulling in, removing his helmet as he did so.

"Hey," he said, putting his bike into park. "How's it going?"

"It's good," she replied, smiling at him. "He's doing really well."

"Awesome," he replied, taking his mask off. "I knew you'd do excellent, Jay."

"How'd the mission go?"

"Fine, I guess," he replied with a shrug. "We got what we needed."

"You're hurt," she said, looking at the blood on his arm. He looked down, as though unaware.

"It's nothing big," he replied. She stood up and put some gloves on.

"Let me see."

He held out his arm, and she cleaned the wound. She took a deep look at it before wrapping it.

"It's not deep enough for stitches."

"What a shame," he replied dully, and she looked at him, removing her gloves.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Jay, why don't you go wash up and we can watch that movie?"

"Sure, Barbie," he replied, walking out of the cave. She waited until he was gone before turning back to Dick.

"I can read you like a book. What is bothering you?"

"It's just something that Artemis said."

"What was it?"

"She said that I reminded her of Batman."

"So? You do act a lot like Bruce."

"I don't want to, Babs!" he cried, standing up. He let out a deep breath, and she walked up and put her hands on his arms.

"Why are you getting so defensive?"

He rubbed his face, wishing she would drop it. "I've only told Canary this, so please don't repeat it."

"You have my word."

"I always expected to become Batman after him. As I got older, I discovered that there was thing inside of him that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of the mission. It's not me, Babs. It's not me at all. I don't want to be Batman."

There was an awkward silence for several minutes, and he looked away. She pressed her lips together.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"Have you told him that?"

"No way," he replied, shaking his head. "This stays between us."

"I promise," she whispered, grabbing hold of his hand. He stared at her for a minute before pulling her in for a hug. "What will happen if something does happen to Bruce, Dick?"

He let out a sigh. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

"I know I'm not that experienced yet, but I will always help out if needed. I don't care what else is going on."

He smiled. "I know. Thank you."

"Now come on. Jay wants to watch a movie."

He let out a laugh. "I'll be up in a minute."

She nodded and started walking upstairs. He changed out of his suit and met them in the living room.

* * *

Dick tapped his fingers against his arms, debating that today he would break the news of Robin to Bruce. He had been pacing in his room all morning, struggling to figure out what to say to him. He knew Bruce would be disappointed, and after all the issues with Green and Red Arrow, he knew this conversation wouldn't go over well.

Walking down the steps of the passageway, he spotted Bruce sitting at his desk researching on the computer. He took a deep breath before walking down next to him.

"Bruce? Can we talk?"

"About what?" he asked, refusing to look away from his computer.

"About Robin."

"What about Robin?"

"Ever since you told Jason about us, I've been thinking something over in my head, and I know you're not going to like it."

"What is it?"

"I want Robin to go to Jay, if he wants it."

He stopped tying, and Dick looked away. There was an awkward silence for several minutes.

"I see."

"Bruce, don't get me wrong. We work great together, and we always have. I'll still be here, just not as Robin. As something else."

Bruce didn't say anything, and Dick let out a deep breath.

"Let's see what Jason says."

"Bruce-"

The clock opened, and Jason walked down. Bruce took the moment to stand up from his chair.

"Start getting him trained up," he ordered Dick. He turned and walked up the passage.

"Everything alright?"

"Just fine," Dick replied, looking over at the passageway. "Let's start getting you ready."

"What is that?" Jason asked, as Dick took his staff from the glass case and gave it to him.

"It's my staff that I use. It'll help you train."

He flipped it in his hand. "You know, I used to watch you two run across the rooftops of Gotham."

Dick didn't say anything, but he grabbed for his utility belt and slung it around Jason's shoulder. "First rule: always carry your belt with you."

"What's in it?" he asked, looking through the pockets.

"Weapons. Smoke bombs, batarangs, whatever you'll need. It'll always be stocked for you."

He nodded. "So, do I kick your ass now or later?"

Dick grinned. "Don't threaten me, Todd. Alright, let's start simple. Come at me."

Jason stared at him for a moment before grinning, smashing the staff into Dick's chest. Dick grabbed onto it, using to push Jason to the ground. He growled before getting back up off the ground, throwing punches. Dick was able to block each one of them.

"You're angry," he said a few minutes later. "You should never fight angry."

"Isn't that why you got detention, Dickybird?"

"Dickybird? Really?" he replied, rolling his eyes. "Fine, and yes, I let anger drive me and I got in trouble for it. It's happened a few times now, and Bruce has given me a lecture every time. Never fight angry. It'll cloud your judgement, and you'll do something that you'll regret. Also, you'll get one of Bruce's famous lectures."

Jason stared at him before nodding. Dick patted his shoulder. "Alright, let's go through basic combat."

"Can we do something else? Barbara put me through that the other day."

He eyed him before grinning. "One minute, Jay."

Jason looked at him in confusion before Dick finally returned, dawning his Robin suit. "This was my second one. I have to keep altering them as I get older. It should fit you."

"You want me to put it on?"

"Sure do," he replied, and watched as Jason disappeared around the corner. He returned a minute later, and Dick gave him his mask. "You look great in that."

"Thanks," he replied with a grin.

"You need to be able to move in the suit. We're doing basic combat, but it's a little more fun in the suit."

Jason grinned at him again. "Bring it on, Grayson."

* * *

Jason popped his eyes open, rubbing them softly as he did so. He sat up in his bed and looked out the window, watching as the snow blew past it. Throwing his bedsheets off, he moved to look out, watching as the pond and yard were completely covered.

It didn't make him miss his days on the streets.

He thought back to last year, where he hid between the buildings to try to keep himself warm. He started fires and kept them going for as long as he could, but the cold air continued to knock it out. He remembered stealing from stores.

He remembered it all.

He couldn't believe how much his life has changed within the last year.

He prepared himself for the day before walking out of his room. He spotted Dick standing by the foot of the stairs.

"Morning, Jay."

"Morning," he replied dully.

"Merry Christmas Eve, young sirs," Alfred said, putting breakfast in front of them.

"Merry Christmas Eve, Alfred!" they chanted back together, before tearing into their pancakes.

"Do not forget that the annual Christmas Eve party starts tonight at eight sharp. Your suits are laid out for you in your rooms."

"Suit?" Jason asked, pulling a face. Dick laughed.

"It's no different than our uniforms. Plus, there will be a lot of cute thirteen-year-olds."

Jason gave him a look. "Maybe flirting is your forte, Dicky, but it's not mine."

"You flirt with Barbara," Dick replied, grinning at him. Jason blushed.

"I _don't_ flirt with Barbie!"

"She finds it adorable, by the way."

"Shut up!"

"Jason loves Barbara!"

Jason threw a biscuit at him. "I do not love her!"

"And I'm not Robin," he replied, still grinning at him.

"Calm down now, young sirs," Alfred said, shaking his head as he put his own plate in front of him. "Master Bruce will be joining us in just a minute."

"You're joining us, Alfred?" Jason asked.

"As I always do every holiday morning, sir."

"Good morning," Bruce said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning, Bruce."

"I'm sure Alfred has told you about our gala tonight, Jason."

"He did."

"Since this is Jason's first gala here, Dick, I am expecting you to help him along. Help him with the suit and how to act."

"Don't worry, Bruce, I'll help him," he replied, squeezing Jason's shoulder. "We'll make him a snobby little rich brat in no time."

"I hate you, Dick."

"It's just for one night, Jason."

"I'm going to the mountain for a Christmas Eve party, but I'll be back before the party starts."

"You better be," Bruce warned.

"I will be, Bruce."

"Meanwhile, Master Jason, you can help me set up for tonight."

Jason looked over at Dick and glared at him. "I hate you."

He smiled. "You'll get to come along soon enough. I promise."

* * *

Dick let out a small smile as he drove to Barbara's apartment, eager to take her to the party at Mount Justice before Bruce's party later on tonight. Despite the bitter chill from the cold air, he was enjoying the ride and couldn't wait to see her.

He parked his bike outside of the building and walked the stairs up to the second floor. He knocked on her door and waited for a minute, smiling at her when her face appeared behind the door.

"Are you here to pick me up?" she asked with a smile. He nodded.

"I am here to take you to a wonderful party."

"But I have a date," she pouted, and he rolled his eyes.

"You'll just have to cancel."

"I _guess_ I can cancel for you."

"Excellent," he replied, rubbing his hands together. "Shall we?"

She nodded and grabbed for her bag. She locked her door behind her and followed him down to their bikes.

"Race you there," he replied with a grin. She grinned back and revved her bike, following behind him to the zeta tube. They put their glasses on and appeared in the cave. She smiled at all the decorations that were hung. Music was playing in the background, and she noticed that the lights had dimmed in the building.

"Let's get you some punch," he said, gesturing his head towards the drinks. They walked over and he poured her a glass.

"It's so amazing in here."

"Hi, Rob, Batgirl," Zatanna said, walking up to them. They smiled back at her.

"Hello, Zatanna. Merry Christmas."

"Rob, would you like to dance?"

Barbara looked at Dick, who flashed Zatanna a smile. Her stomach dropped as he turned to her. "Would you mind?"

"Go on ahead," she said with a small smile before walking away. She spotted Artemis standing near the corner of the room and walked over to her.

"Batgirl! How have you been?"

"I've been good, Artemis, she replied. "How have you been?"

"Good. Have you heard anything yet?"

"About what?"

"Joining the team."

"Not yet," she said with a sigh. "I really want to."

"Hopefully soon, then," she replied with a sigh. "We need you on the team."

"I'm ready to join, but Batman wants me to have more practice first."

"I get that."

Barbara took a sip of her punch, trying to avoid Dick and Zatanna dancing. Her stomach turned as she caught a glimpse of them.

"Merry Christmas," Artemis said, raising her glass. She raised hers as well.

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, indeed," she replied, looking over Barbara's shoulder. She turned around, and her stomach dropped.

Underneath the mistletoe, Robin and Zatanna were kissing.

Barbara's stomach turned again as she saw them. She turned around, trying to get the image out of her head as she did so.

' _Why am I upset about this? I knew they've dated before.'_

"Looks like they may be getting back together," Artemis remarked, cranking her neck.

"Good for them," she replied quietly, putting her punch down. Artemis eyed her.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah. I just, er, need some fresh air."

"Batgirl?" Artemis called out, but she quickly walked away. She walked out of the cave, ignoring the chill that struck her the moment she walked out into the snow.

"What are you doing?" Artemis asked a few minutes later, wrapping a spare coat around her. "It's freezing out here."

"I'm fine."

"If you were fine you wouldn't be out here." Barbara didn't say anything, and Artemis' eyes narrowed as she figured it out. "You like Rob, don't you?"

"He's my friend."

"I don't think so," she replied, shaking her head. "You like him."

She dropped her head before letting out a sigh. "I don't know."

"I do," she replied, smiling softly. "You like him."

Barbara didn't say anything, but continued to stare out at the ocean. Artemis let out a soft sigh.

"But he's with Zatanna."

"Seems that way," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry," she replied, wrapping her arm around Barbara's shoulder. "I know how it feels. When we first started this team, Wally had a major crush on M'gann. It tore me up."

"Every time he talks about Zatanna, I feel upset."

"I know," Artemis replied, rubbing her forearm.

"You're a good friend, Artemis," she said softly. "A really good friend."

"I try," she replied with a grin.

Barbara hesitated for a minute. "Batman and Robin are going to kill me for this, but I need a friend."

Artemis looked at her in confusion before Barbara raised her hands up and removed the shades. Artemis' mouth opened in surprise.

"Barbara Gordon?"

"Yup," she replied, putting the glasses back on.

"I should have guessed."

"You can't tell anyone," she said. "Robin's going to kill me if he finds out."

"Your secret's safe with me," she replied, putting her hands on her arms, "Batgirl."

"Thank you. I really needed a friend. Well, a friend that's a girl, anyway."

"Boys are idiots," she said with a laugh. "I live in Gotham, too. You ever need anything, you come find me."

Barbara laughed. "Is it bad that I'm feeling jealous?"

"No. Like I said, I was the same way when I first started. Rob really cares for you. Way more than he's letting on."

"I'm just his friend," she said softly, turning her head away.

"You're more than that. Rob just hasn't realized it. He is friends with Wally, after all."

They both laughed together.

"Thanks, Artemis."

"No problem. Hey, we should have a girl's night. Get your mind off of Robin."

"I would like that."

"Batgirl? Artemis? What are you two doing? It's freezing out here!" Robin said, running up to them.

"I just needed some air, Rob," Batgirl said softly, and he took his jacket off and wrapped it around her.

"You need to get back inside."

"Alright," she replied, feeling a little too warm with his coat on now, too. Artemis winked at her as they followed Robin back inside the cave.

"Are you mad at me?" he asked softly, as Artemis disappeared to find Wally. Barbara looked at him in confusion.

"I'm not mad at you."

"You're really quiet today."

"I'm just not feeling the best."

"Are you sick?"

"Er, no. Girl problems."

He pulled a face, and she tried not to laugh. "Enough said."

"You know you're going to have a wife someday."

"Maybe, if I'm lucky, it'll be you, Babs."

She rolled her eyes, surprised he let the name slip. "I would so love to be the future Mrs. Robin."

"It makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, a half-bird half-bat child!"

She pressed her hand to her head, trying her absolute hardest not to laugh. He grinned at her, knowing that he was breaking her down.

"Am I making you feel better?"

"I guess," she replied with a fake sigh.

"There's my Batgirl. Are you hungry?"

"Starving," she replied with a small laugh.

"Then we better get to the food before Wally does. If he sniffs it out, no one will get any."

She laughed. "Come on, bird brain."

As she followed him back to the living room, her mind started to wander to the fake vision he had just said out loud.

Little did she know, so did his.

They sat awkwardly next to each other at their table, listening to Wally and Artemis talk to them. They tried to listen, but found themselves unable to. When Artemis stood up to get more food, Wally turned to them, grinning.

"So, Wayne's Christmas Eve party is tonight."

"Wally!" Robin hissed.

"Is she your date, Rob?"

He rolled his eyes. "As a matter of fact, she is."

"I figured. I've heard the stories of Dick and Barbara."

"What stories?" Batgirl asked, narrowing her eyes. Wally grinned.

"Robin over here likes to talk about you. _A lot_."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked over at Robin, who glared at Wally in response.

"You are such a mouth!"

"Relax, _Richard_."

"Richard?" Artemis said, walking up to the table. Batgirl's breath caught in her throat as Robin gave Wally the deepest glare he could give him.

It could easily match Batman's.

"Opps," Wally replied, rubbing his neck as he looked away.

"Damn it, Wally! Batman's going to kill me!"

"Rob, I told Artemis who I was," Batgirl said, and he turned to look at her.

"What?"

"I needed to talk to her. _Actually_ talk to her."

"What have I told you?"

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Batgirl bit her cheek.

"Please don't be mad."

"I'm sorry, man," Wally said, looking guilty. "I'll take the blame for both of you."

"No. I trust Artemis. I'll tell Batman I told her." He gave her a look and lifted up his glasses quickly before putting them back into place. "Artemis, my name is Dick Grayson."

She looked between him and Batgirl, a smile forming on her face. "Of course. The two that can never be broken up. You both go to my school."

"We do."

"So that means Bruce Wayne is Batman?" she whispered, and they both nodded in agreement. "I won't tell anyone. Batman doesn't even have to know."

"No, I'll deal with Batman. He's been mad at me before when Batgirl found out who I was, and he's gotten over it."

"He's already not happy with you, Robin," she whispered.

"Why?" Wally asked. Dick looked away and sighed.

"We're training Jason, and I told Batman that I want Robin to go to him."

"You didn't," Artemis said, giving him a look.

"I did, but I don't regret it. This isn't like Red Arrow. I'm not abandoning Batman. I'll still be with him, just not as Robin."

"What'd he say?"

"To wait and see what Jay says. He hasn't been too happy with me since."

"What will you do?" Wally asked. Robin shrugged.

"I'm working on it."

Barbara rubbed the back of her head. No one said anything for a few minutes. The music continued to play in the background, and she could see Zatanna dancing with Rocket, and M'gann and Connor were nowhere in sight. Aqualad, Tula and Garth were talking at another table. Dick let out another deep breath.

"It'll be sad not to see you as Robin," she said.

"I know I'll miss it, but it deserves to go to him. He's ready, and as soon as Batman gives him the ok, he becomes Robin, if he wishes, anyway."

"Have you not talked to Jason about it yet?"

"Not yet. I will tomorrow morning." He looked between them. "Listen, you both know now. Don't be surprised if Batman gives you a lecture. You also know about Jason, and he's not going to like that, either. It's not like I can keep him hidden, though. You know about me so you would find out about him."

"I see the three of you hanging out at lunch all the time. He looks happy."

"He was living on the streets. He actually saved Barbara's life back in September."

"What do you mean?"

"I was taking the trash out one night, and I was attacked. He was choking me. All of a sudden I see a kid attack him, but he ran away before I could get a good glimpse of him. About a month later, Batman and Robin were out on patrol one night when they noticed that one of the tires had been stolen off of the Batmobile. They busted him, and he was taken to the Wayne Care Center. A few days later Dick gave me a phone call and told me they were going to talk to him. I asked if he remembered me and he said yes. He was the one who saved my life."

"He sounds like he's going to be an excellent Robin."

"He's ready to go. We're just waiting on Batman to give him the ok."

Wally tore through his next plate of food, and Artemis shook her head in disgust. "Will you stop?"

"I'm hungry."

"You're _always_ hungry."

"I can't help it."

Barbara laughed. "You're two are a cute couple."

"Not always. He drives me insane."

"Like you're one to talk," he replied, rolling his eyes. Dick shook his head.

"At least you don't have to listen to it on a constant basis."

"Like you and Zatanna?"

"Wally!" Artemis hissed, slapping his arm. Barbara looked away while Dick gave him a look.

"When were Z and I ever like that?"

"You weren't," Artemis said, trying to drop the conversation.

"Like we didn't see you two making out just a little bit ago."

"My phone's going off. Excuse me," Barbara said, immediately standing up. Artemis gave her a sad look and followed behind her.

"What's their problem?"

"No idea," Dick said, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to figure out what was wrong with Barbara.

* * *

"Robin, the time," Barbara said, looking at her phone.

"We need to get going," he said, and she nodded. "Merry Christmas, everyone!"

"Merry Christmas, Rob! Batgirl!" they chanted back, and they said their goodbyes before disappearing through the zeta tubes.

"I'll see you at the party, then?" he asked softly, and she nodded.

"I have to go home and get changed, but I'll be there."

"See you soon, Babs."

She smiled at him before revving her bike and driving away. He put his own helmet on and started on the path back to the manor, taking the back route to avoid all of the cars driving in. He pulled into the cave and parked the bike, looking at the time on his watch afterwards.

' _A little late,'_ he thought, taking his glasses off. He quickly rushed upstairs and walked through the passageway, closing it behind him.

"Cutting it close, Master Richard," Alfred said, watching as Dick strode past him. He then stopped, turned around and grinned.

"Don't all celebrities show up late, Alfred?"

Alfred rolled his eyes, and Dick let out a laugh before charging up the stairs. He entered his room and quickly changed into his suit.

When he was finally ready, he walked across the hall and entered Jason's room, helping him put his suit on.

"Does Bruce have these often?" Jason asked, buttoning up his suit.

"Unfortunately, and as children of Bruce Wayne, we have to play along. We have to act like spoiled, rich children."

"Why?" Jason asked, furrowing his brow.

"Because it throws people off," he replied, smoothing out Jason's suit. "If people think we party all the time, they'll never suspect we're out fighting crime. As much as Bruce and I hate it, we have to. That includes you now, too."

"I have no idea how to act like that."

"Just follow my lead. I've been doing this for six years now."

Jason nodded. Dick gave him a once over before looking in the mirror himself. There was a knock on the door, and they turned around to see Bruce standing there.

"Are we ready?"

They nodded, and followed Bruce downstairs. They stopped in front of the ballroom, and Bruce opened the doors. Jason closed his eyes to avoid all the flashing from the cameras.

"Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!" Bruce said, smiling amongst the crowd.

"I've heard you've adopted another one, Bruce," a woman said, walking up to them.

"This is Jason," Bruce said, placing his hand on Jay's shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you," the woman said, smiling down at him.

"The pleasure is all mine," Jason said, shaking her hand while flashing her a smile. Dick grinned.

"Excuse us," Dick said, and she nodded before they turned to walk away. "Look at you, Jay."

"Do I have to talk to these people?" he asked, clearly looking annoyed.

"Yes, and be polite. We need these cover-ups."

"Fine," he grumbled. "This isn't my thing, though."

"It's not mine, either."

Right then, he cranked his head up and saw a familiar face enter the room. He ordered Jason to stay put before finding Bruce.

"Er, Bruce," he whispered, getting his guardian's attention, "we have a visitor."

Bruce cranked his neck and looked over, letting out a sigh as he saw who it was. "Keep an eye on Jason. I'll be back."

Dick nodded, watching as Bruce walked over to the mystery woman. _'Selena Kyle.'_

"Who is that?" Jason asked, walking back up to him.

"A friend of Bruce's," he replied, eyeing them. "Hey, why don't we go mingle?"

"With who?"

"There's a cute girl over there," he said, pushing Jason towards her. He glared at him.

"I don't need your help."

"Then go ask her to dance."

"No," he replied, shaking her head. He turned around and saw that he wasn't there. "Dick?"

"This is my little brother Jason," Dick said, walking with the girl up to him. Jason glared at him. "He would like a dance, but he's really shy."

"I'd love a dance," she replied, smiling at him. "I'm Katie."

"Jason," he replied.

"My work here is done," Dick said, clapping his hands together. "Enjoy yourself."

He walked away, ignoring the look Jason was giving him.

"Hello, Dick."

He grinned, recognizing that voice anywhere. "Babs! I was wondering when you'd get here."

"I had to wait on dad to get home from work. Where's Jay?"

He moved aside. "Oh, he's dancing."

"Jason's dancing?" she asked in surprise. Then her eyes narrowed. "What did you do to my sweet little Jay?"

"Nothing," he replied with an innocent shrug. "I just introduced a nice girl to him and asked her if she wanted to dance."

"You're taking this _brother_ thing a touch too far."

"Nah," he replied, grinning at her. He then turned to her when the music changed. "Would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to," she said, grabbing for his hand. He led her out to the dancefloor, and gently placed his hands on her waist.

"You look beautiful," Dick said, looking over her dress. She smiled.

"Thanks, Dick. You look very nice."

They swayed slowly to the song, managing to get closer to one another with each step. Eventually, his arms wrapped around her waist, and hers wrapped around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder.

It felt too right being this close to him. Slow dancing together, with her head on his shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

But they were friends. They shouldn't be acting this way.

She glanced over to Jason, who was saying goodbye to the girl he had been dancing with. She smiled softly, knowing that Jay hadn't wanted to dance in the first place. He went over to get some punch and disappeared from her sight.

"Jason's done dancing already."

Dick let out a playful sigh. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that kid."

"Maybe leave him alone," she replied with a smile.

He chuckled against her ear, and somehow the moment felt even more perfect.

Something was bothering her, though. Something she needed to know the answer to.

"Are you back with Zatanna?"

"Why do you ask?" he answered quietly, pulling away slightly to see her.

"Because I saw you kissing her."

He grinned at her. "Jealous, are we?"

"No," she replied quickly. "I was just wondering."

The grin didn't leave his face, and she wanted to slap him. "No, we're not back together. It's tradition to kiss underneath the mistletoe, you know."

She rolled her eyes. He pulled her closer again, and they continued to sway to the song.

"I like that you're so concerned about me," he whispered into her ear. She suppressed a shiver.

"Don't flatter yourself, Grayson."

He chuckled. "You're as red as your hair."

"Shut up," she muttered into his shoulder. "Are you mad at me?"

"For?"

"Telling Artemis."

He sighed. "You're supposed to be following orders. Bruce and I both told you not to tell her."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just had a moment, and I really needed to talk to someone."

He didn't say anything, but he looked at the wall ahead of him. She hated the silence and wished he would say something.

"The more people you tell, the more you're putting yourself at risk," he finally whispered.

"I know."

"Not like it mattered much anyway," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Wally blew the whole secret."

She laughed slightly. "So you're not mad?"

"Not really, but please, Babs, don't tell anyone else."

She nodded against his shoulder. They didn't say anything else, but they swayed to the song, and somehow, it just felt right.

"Barbie!" Jason said, walking up to them. "I got you some punch."

"Thanks, Jay," she said, smiling at him as she took a sip.

"Stepping me up, are we?" Dick asked, lightly shoving Jason.

"I must just be more of a gentleman than you."

Dick rolled his eyes, and Barbara smiled, wrapping her arm around Jason's shoulder. "You look very handsome."

"Thanks. You look beautiful."

"Why, thank you," she replied with a smile as he twirled her around. "Would you like a dance?"

"Sure."

"I see how it is," Dick replied, grinning at him. He then bent down to Jason's ear. "You love Barbara."

"Shut up, Dick!" he growled, his eye blazing as his face flushed. Dick held his hands up, grinning from ear to ear.

"Enjoy your dance," he replied, walking away with his grin still evident.

Oh, he _loved_ being an older brother.

He walked up to the corner of the ballroom and looked around, mentally groaning as he saw Bruce and Selena dancing. His eyes then moved to Jason and Barbara, and he smiled as she laughed at a joke he had told her.

' _Merry Christmas, indeed,'_ he thought, looking around.

"How are you, Master Richard?" Alfred asked, walking up to him.

"It's a pretty good night, Alfred."

"I'm glad to hear that. Master Jason seems to be having fun."

He smirked. "He always has fun around Barbara."

"Reminds me of you at that age," he replied, and Dick narrowed his eyes.

"I wasn't that bad."

"As you say, Master Richard."

"I'm just glad we found him," he replied softly, looking at how happy Jason was. "Or, well, he found us, anyway."

Alfred nodded in agreement. "When we first took you in, I was concerned about how Master Bruce would handle raising a child, especially one of your age at the time. I must say he's done a very good job with the both of you, despite his moodiness."

Dick nodded his head. "And we all know it's there."

"Regardless, I must say it has been such an honor taking care of you over the years, and the last few months with Master Jason. As Master Bruce predicted, you and Miss. Gordon have brought out the best in him, despite everything that young boy has been through."

"He just needed a friend."

"He needed a family, and he got one. Now, if would excuse me, I have some guests to serve."

He nodded, and watched as Alfred disappeared back into the crowd. Barbara and Jason walked up to him.

"Enjoy your dance?" he asked.

"It was quite nice, wasn't it, Jay?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't bad."

"You loved it," she replied, smiling as she rubbed his arm.

"Why don't we get away for a moment and head to the living room?"

"Please," Jason begged, reaching for his punch cup. They grabbed for theirs as well and walked into the living room.

"These heels are killing me," she said, taking her shoes off.

"In here, we can relax. Sometimes you just gotta get away," Dick replied, loosening his tie.

"I always love this tree," Barbara said, standing up to look at it. "It just makes me happy."

Jason stretched out on the couch, placing his hand over his eyes as he did so. "Is this thing about over?"

"Not even close, bro," Dick said with a laugh. "Better get used to it. We either have these things often, or Bruce makes us go to some."

"The price we pay to get to be a hero," he remarked dully, and Dick shook his head. Barbara let out a small laugh.

Bruce walked in followed by a man wearing glasses. Dick let out a smirk.

"Ah, there you three are. Barbara, Jason, this is Clark Kent. He's a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Clark, this is Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd."

"It's nice to meet the both of you," he replied, shaking their hands. "Is this the new one you adopted, Bruce?"

"Sure is."

"Nice to meet you," Jason said, shaking his hand.

"Clark," Dick said, nodding his head.

"There you are! How are you, Dick?"

"I'm good."

"Clark is a good friend of mine. He's also a very good father figure to Dick."

"Try to be," he replied, ruffling Dick's hair. "Guess that includes you now, too, huh, Jason?"

"I guess?" he replied, throwing a look towards Dick. He chuckled slightly.

"He's an awesome uncle," Dick replied, and Clark winked at him.

"I hope you don't mind, Bruce, but we just needed a couple minutes of privacy."

"It's not a problem, Barbara. I don't blame you. These things get on my nerves as well."

"Thanks for letting me take some pictures, Bruce," Clark said, shaking his hand. "I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem. You're the one reporter who doesn't drive me insane."

"No offense, but I don't know anything that doesn't drive you insane."

Bruce gave him a look while the teenagers laughed. "Funny."

* * *

Dick rubbed his hands together, ignoring the chilly air as it hit him. He needed some time alone away from the party, but maybe coming out to the balcony wasn't his best idea.

"What's on your mind, kid?" Clark asked, watching as turned around to look at him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Everything, Uncle Clark. Bruce is kind of mad at me."

"For what?"

"I told him that I want Robin to go to Jason. He hasn't talked to me much since."

Clark pressed his lips together. "I see."

"Am I making a mistake?" he asked, turning towards him. "Giving up Robin?"

Clark leaned against the railing and folded his arms. "I don't think you are. Bruce needs to realize that you weren't going to be his partner forever. I think it's very nice of you to give Robin to your brother."

"How long do you think he'll be mad?"

"He's not mad, Dick. He's disappointed. He'll get over it when Jason starts running around as well."

"It's not like I'm leaving. I'll still be around."

"I know that and he knows that. It's just in Bruce's nature to give everyone a hard time."

Dick laughed. "That's true."

There was silence for a moment as he stared out over the balcony, watching people leave to go to their cars. Clark laid his arms over the balcony as he hunched over as well.

"Have you thought about your new identity?"

"A little, but I really have no idea. I've been Robin for so long, it's hard to figure it out."

Clark looked up to the stars. "Let me tell you a story. A story about a Kryptonian hero named _Nightwing_."

* * *

"Have you seen Dick?" Barbara asked Jason, looking around. He shook his head.

"I haven't seen him in a while."

"I have to get going soon," she replied, looking at her watch.

"Hey," Dick said, walking up to them. A smile was lighting up his face.

"What's the deal with you?"

"Oh, nothing. Just something Clark told me. Are you leaving?"

"Just about to. Just trying to find dad."

"There you are," Jim said, walking up to her with two presents. "We need to get going, hun."

"Thanks, dad," she said, taking the presents from him. "I'll be right out."

"Merry Christmas, sons," he said to them. They said it back to him before he turned to walk out the door.

"My presents to my boys," Barbara said, giving them both a present. "Don't open until tomorrow morning."

"And this is ours to you," Dick said, handing her two presents. "See you soon?"

"Always, birdboy," she replied, winking at him. "I better go. Merry Christmas, boys."

"Merry Christmas," they repeated back, and she turned to walk out with her father.

"Let's get out of these monkey suits, Jay," Dick said, turning to him, "and get into our pajamas. Then I challenge you to the Xbox."

Jason grinned. "You're going down."

And they played well into the morning before retreating to their rooms.

* * *

Christmas morning, Dick immediately woke up, grinning from ear to ear as he did so. He threw his blankets off and ran to Jason's room, quietly opening the door as he did so. He tiptoed over to his bed.

"Jason!" Dick said, shaking him awake. Jason groaned and rolled over, putting his pillow over his head. "Jay, wake up! It's Christmas morning!"

"You're worse than a five-year-old, Grayson," he said, hitting him with the pillow.

"Come on! Get up!"

"Fine," he groaned, sitting up in his bed. He stretched before looking over at Dick. "What are you doing up so early?"

"It's just tradition for me," he said, remembering back to Christmas mornings with his mother and father. "I always wake early. Now come on. I'm sure Alfred has breakfast waiting for us."

Jason let out a sigh before following Dick downstairs to the kitchen. They greeted Alfred.

"Merry Christmas, young sirs," he replied, giving them plates as they sat at the island.

"Merry Christmas, Alfred," they repeated back.

"Where's Bruce?"

"He's indisposed at the moment," Alfred replied, and Dick knew exactly what he meant.

He had a woman upstairs.

' _And he gets on me about protection!'_

"What does that mean?" Jason asked.

"Nothing, Jay, he's just busy."

"A little too _busy_ if you ask me," Alfred muttered, and Dick almost spit his milk out.

"Seriously, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Master Jason."

"Well, I say after breakfast we open up our presents. What do you say?"

Jason nodded, and they quickly finished their breakfasts before they took off towards the informal living room with Alfred in tow. They each opened some of their presents, and Dick made sure to leave his biggest one for Jason last.

"Do you really need to take pictures?" Dick asked.

"I'm too sentimental not to, Master Richard. I would like to have something to look back on when I grow older."

He rolled his eyes playfully before grabbing for a present underneath the tree.

"I have something for you," he said, giving Jason the box. "Merry Christmas."

Jason slowly took the box and tore off the wrapping. He opened it.

"Dick?" he asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. "Why did you give me your Robin mask?"

Dick let out a deep breath before moving to sit in front of Jason. Alfred snapped the picture before nodding his head and turning away.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," he started slowly, taking the mask from Jay. "You don't have to accept this if you don't want to, but I can't be Robin forever. The mantle deserves to go to you, if you wish. If you want to choose something else, it's completely up to you. It's just an offer."

He rubbed his fingers across the mask. "What will you do?"

"I'm working on it."

"Dick," he said, shaking his head, "I don't know what to say."

"Obviously you wouldn't go out until you were ready, but the moment you are, my suit becomes yours."

"Thank you," he whispered, putting the mask back into the box.

"You still have one more present. It's from Barbara."

He turned back to the tree, and picked up the present. He tore the wrapping off and opened the box, smiling softly.

"It's the day you were first brought here. We took that at the mall."

"That's right," he replied, smiling. "It's like the picture in your room."

"Barbara's apparently started a tradition of taking pictures of when we get adopted."

He laughed. "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas, Jay."

"Merry Christmas, Dick."

Jason looked over the mask again. Dick let out a small smile before pulling his phone out. He called Barbara.

"I hope I didn't wake you," he said softly.

"I've been awake."

"Merry Christmas, Babs."

"Merry Christmas, Dick," she replied.

"Have you had a nice morning?"

"Definitely. Dad made me breakfast, we opened presents now we're watching Home Alone. How are you and Jason?"

"We're great," he replied, turning around to grin at him. "About to have an Xbox marathon again."

"Let me talk to him."

"Jay," he said, giving him his phone.

"Barbie!" he said. "Yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too. Thanks for the picture."

He turned away from him and picked up his bottle of cologne from Barbara. Smiling softly, he remembered back to the first night he used it.

The Christmas Eve party Bruce had last year.

" _Merry Christmas, Dick," Barbara said, smiling at him._

" _Merry Christmas, Babs."_

" _Did you put on cologne?" she asked, laughing slightly as she sniffed him. He pushed her away, blushing slightly. "It smells nice."_

" _Thanks," he replied quietly, blushing._

" _Uh, Dick," she replied, and he looked up, closing his eyes as he did so._

 _They were underneath a mistletoe._

" _Babs," he started, unsure of what to say, "we don't have to-"_

 _He was cut off when she put her lips on his. It only lasted a brief moment before she pulled away, coughing slightly._

" _Maybe just a bit too much, circus boy," she replied, waving her hand. He laughed._

" _I'll remember that for next time."_

That was his first kiss ever.

* * *

It seemed like the next week flew by to Dick. Between training Jason, his nightly patrols and the missions at Mount Justice, he wasn't surprised. It took up a lot of his time.

He wasn't even aware it was New Year's Eve.

"I need to talk to all of you," Bruce said, and the three teenagers looked up.

"About what?"

"Dick, let's talk in the other room."

He looked at Jason and Barbara before getting up to follow Bruce out of the room. Barbara and Jason looked at each other.

"What do you think they're talking about?" he asked, looking over at them.

"No idea. I hope it's good, whatever it is."

"Is Bruce still mad about Robin?"

"He's not mad, he's just upset. It's not going to be easy for Bruce to let go."

"I don't have to be Robin."

"Dick wants it to go to you. He's ready to move on, and he wants to see Robin move on, too."

He rubbed the back of his neck, and they waited in silence for Bruce and Dick to return. Barbara was pressing her lips together, nervousness setting in as to what they could be talking about. Jason stared out the window, and she could see his leg bouncing up and down.

Finally, they returned.

"What are you so happy about?" Barbara asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. Dick grinned.

"Barbara," Bruce started, and she looked up to him, "even though I didn't want you doing this to begin with, you have proven to be an excellent partner. That is why I'm officially allowing you to join Dick's team at Mount Justice."

"Really?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"Absolutely."

"Look at you, Barbie," Jason said, punching her arm.

"I haven't forgotten about you, either," Bruce said, turning to Jason. "You've been doing very well on your training. Dick has given you his suit, or will when you do become Robin. Your time is coming. I want some more training in before it does."

"You mean that?"

"I do. Get some more training in, and you can come with us."

"What about Dick?" he asked, looking over at him. Bruce looked away.

"Don't worry about me, Jay. I'm working on it."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Well, you need to come up with something so I can get you into the system."

With that, he stood up and walked down to the cave. Dick closed his eyes and pressed his hand to his head.

"Still upset, huh?"

"Yeah," he replied, sitting back on the couch.

"Dick, I don't want to be Robin if it's going to cause trouble."

"Jason, Robin is going to you. Bruce will be fine."

The tone of Dick's voice meant the end of the conversation. Jason turned his head away while Barbara looked at Dick sadly.

"It's about time to leave for patrol. Barbara, let's suit up. Jay, Alfred said you can stay down there tonight with him."

"Cool," he replied with a small shrug. They all went down to the cave and quickly changed.

"Ready, then?" Bruce asked, and they nodded. Robin hopped into the Batmobile while Batgirl got on her bike, and they drove out of the cave.

"What's the plan, boss?" Batgirl's voice echoed in their ears.

"Your father believes that Julian Day will strike again tonight, and it wouldn't surprise me. We need to see if we can find him. I believe he will go after the town's annual ball drop around midnight."

"What about before then?"

"Normal patrol until around ten-thirty when people start to line the streets."

Dick nodded, and they parked not far from the manor, listening to the scanner as they did so.

"You look cold," Robin said to Batgirl, as he rolled down the window. She glared at him.

"The suit is well insulated, thank you."

"Are you sure? I can always get out and give you a hug."

"Robin," Batman sighed, rolling his eyes. "Focus."

"Yes, sir," he replied, still grinning at Batgirl. She rolled her own eyes.

She leaned forward on her bike, resting her arms on the handles. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath, wondering if there would be a lot of activity tonight. He sat in the car next to her, tapping his fingers against the car.

"Will you please stop that?" she asked a minute later.

"Is it driving you insane?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"I hate you."

"I know you don't," he replied with another grin. Batman let out another sigh as he pressed his hand against his head.

"Alfred, how's Jason doing?"

"He's been training on the dummies ever since you left, sir."

"Good."

"Scanner's quiet tonight," Batgirl said, turning her bike off.

"Everyone's out partying."

"I don't want to jinx anything, but Scarecrow's been awfully quiet lately."

"I agree," Batman said. "He hasn't been heard from since he broke out of Arkham."

A call sent them on their way, and they quickly drove off to Belle's Boutique. Stepping out of the car, Robin threw a confused look towards Batman.

"Why are we here?"

"There's somebody in the building," he said, quietly opening the door. They all turned their night vision on.

"Puddin! They're here!"

"Harley Quinn," Robin whispered.

"Joker's here, too. Watch your backs."

"You're a little early for the party," she said, throwing her arms out. "The kiss happens at midnight!"

"Where's Joker, Harley?" Batman ordered.

"He's not ready yet. Like I said, you're early." Her eyes drifted over to Batgirl, and a grin grew on her face. "I heard there's another one! A girl, too. Mister J's been looking forward to meeting you, Batgirl."

"HARLEY!" Batman ordered a little louder.

"Don't get mad, Bats. The party's just about to start!"

He walked around to her and pushed her to her knees. "You better start talking."

"You and Boy Blunder better start getting ready. The New Year is going to be so much fun for you!"

"Talk!"

"Not to you," she replied, grinning up at him. "Mister J would never forgive me."

"Robin, Batgirl, scope out the area. See if you can find anything. More than likely Joker's left her as a Trojan horse."

They walked past him and to the back room, their guard up. When they discovered it was empty, they turned back to him.

"Nothing here."

"I'm not playing around, Harley! TALK!"

"I don't know anything! I swear! Mister J said the party would be happening after the holiday!"

He growled and pulled her back up. "You're going back to Arkham."

"Good luck with that."

"Ride with Batgirl. I'll send you the coordinates. I'm dropping her off at GCPD."

"Yes, sir," Robin said, before following Batgirl out to her bike. They hopped on and started on the path to the coordinates Batman had sent them.

"What do you think that was about?" Batgirl asked him, as she drove through the city.

"I don't know, but I don't like the sound of it."

They waited on top of the building for about twenty minute before Batman finally showed up.

"How's it going?"

"It's quiet," Robin replied, looking down at the crowds of people below.

"Too quiet for my liking," Batgirl said.

"Your father's interrogating Harley, but I doubt he'll get anything out of her."

"Batman, what did she mean by the party's coming?"

"I don't know, but I'll figure it out one way or another."

They sat patiently for another hour, scoping out their surroundings. As people got in line to watch the ball drop, the three prepared for what they suspected would be coming.

"It's midnight," Robin said, looking at his watch. "Happy New Year's."

"Happy New Year's, bird brain."

He smiled before sitting next to Bruce. He put his finger up to his communication. "Jay? Alfred?"

"Dick?"

"Happy New Year's."

"You, too," they echoed into his ear.

"Right on cue," Batman said, standing up. "There's Calendar Man."

Robin looked at Batgirl, who smiled back at him. "Ready for the first fight of the year?"

"Bring it on," she replied, and he grinned at her before they followed Batman down to the street.


	7. Year Two: Nightwing and Robin

**Author's Note: You guys, I was bouncing up and down when I heard the news last night. Young Justice is back! Season 3 is coming! Who else is just as excited as me? I am just way too excited for YJ to come back :)  
**

* * *

"Wake up there, Jay," Dick said, shaking Jason slightly as they walked into the school. He rubbed at his eyes, throwing Dick a look as he did so.

"It's too early for learning."

"Here, have some of this," he said, handing Jason his traveling mug. "I haven't had any of it."

"What is it?"

"It's coffee. Try it."

Jason took a sip, smiling softly a moment later. "It's good. Thanks."

"Keep it," he said, pushing it back when Jason went to give it back to him. "It'll help you get through the day."

"There's Barbara," Jason said, pointing to her as they saw her sitting on one of the benches.

"Good morning," she said, offering them a smile as they walked up to her. Jason gave her a look.

"You're too perky for this early in the morning."

She laughed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

"How are you today, Babs?" Dick asked, as they began to walk to Jason's locker.

"Good. Dad actually let me drive to school today."

"And you didn't wreck?" he asked, flashing her a grin. She shoved his chest.

"I'm a very good driver, thank you."

"Someday soon I'll have a license, too."

"I'll be scared when you start driving," she replied, looking at him.

"I'll be a good driver."

"If it's anything like your personality, I don't that."

"I'm adorable."

"You certainly are," a blonde-haired girl said, before realizing she said it out loud. Embarrassed, she turned and walked away. Dick grinned at Barbara.

"See? I'm adorable."

"According to a seventh grader," she replied, as Jason closed his locker and put his bag back over his shoulder.

"Ready."

"Good luck today," she told him, giving him a quick hug.

"Thanks, Barbie. I better go."

"Bye, bro," Dick said, watching as Jason turned to walk down the hall. They walked back to Dick's locker.

"We have first period together," she said, looking at their schedules. "English."

"Joy," he replied dully. "At least you're there."

"Come on, circus boy. We're going to be late."

"Hang on."

He finished filling his backpack before walking with Barbara to their classroom. Taking a seat next to her, he pulled his book out before tapping his pencil against the desk.

"Bored, are we?" she asked, reaching over to stop him from doing it.

"Anxious."

"For what?"

He gave her a look, and she said, "Oh, right."

The bell rang, and the teacher stood up. "Welcome to English 9 semester two. My name is Mrs. Roxberry, and I will be your instructor for the semester. This semester we will be focusing on several plays, mostly by Shakespeare. We will also be focusing on poetry, and your final will consist of a poetry collection, some of which you will have to develop yourselves."

Dick mentally groaned, and he glanced over at Barbara to see her do the same. Tapping his fingers against his desk, he noticed that his phone was lighting up, and he quickly picked it up, hiding a smile.

 _This semester is going to be terrible!_

 ** _"Don't remind me,"_** he texted back, trying his best to hide a smile.

"Richard Grayson?"

He nearly dropped his phone, but managed to hide it before she saw it. "Here."

Barbara smirked at him, and he threw a glare her way. Yup, this would be a long semester indeed.

* * *

"I'm excited," Barbara said, putting her cowl on. Dick grinned beside her.

"I'm excited for you."

"Think we'll have a mission today?"

"I'm sure we will," he replied, getting onto his bike. She hopped on behind him, and they drove out of the cave and to the booth. He parked his bike into the garage and they stepped into the booth, feeling the familiar tug of the zeta tube as they did so.

 _"Recognize: Nightwing, B01. Batgirl, B16."_

"Batman must have changed the system. He must have put both you and Robin in."

"I say it's about time," she replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Rob will be so happy when he gets to come."

"It's awesome that you're a part of the team now," he replied, as they walked into the living room.

"Batgirl!" M'gann said, giving her a hug. "How have you been?"

"Good. I'm officially part of the team."

"That's wonderful!" she said, smiling at her.

"Thanks. I'm so excited."

"As you should be," Robin said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You've earned this."

 **"Everyone to the foyer,"** Batman's voice echoed throughout the cave. They all looked at each other before standing up to walk back, spotting him standing in the middle of the room.

"Gather around," he said, and waited until they were standing in front of him before speaking again. "We have reasons to believe that the members of the light will be meeting somewhere in this location in just a few hours. I am assigning members of your team to investigate and report back to me. Strictly covert."

"Who all, Batman?" Aqualad asked.

"You, Robin, Batgirl, Superboy and Miss. Martian."

He nodded. "We will leave shortly."

"Report back to me with what you find."

"Suit up," Aqualad said, once Batman had left the room. They nodded and walked out of the foyer, Batgirl staying close to Robin. He led her to his room and picked two suits up.

"Stay warm," he said, grinning at her. He handed her a white jacket and white pants.

"You know I like black," she said, giving him a look while smirking.

"Sorry about your luck. You're stuck with the white suit today."

"Fine," she replied with a fake sigh, taking it from him. She put it on over her clothes, watching as he did the same. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You know that this is your last mission as Robin. Are you even going to tell them?"

"I want to surprise them."

"How are you feeling? Letting Robin go, I mean."

"I'm fine. It's time for me to move on, Babs, and Jason deserves to have the suit."

"I'm going to miss seeing you as Robin."

He smiled softly. "I'll miss it, but I'm ready to become Nightwing. Bruce is making the suit now and I should be getting it soon. Thanks for helping with that."

"No problem," she said, zipping up the zipper. "That's going to be a cool looking suit."

"Are you ready for this?"

"More than ready," she replied with a grin. She followed him back out to the foyer, where the rest of the team was waiting.

"Welcome, Batgirl," Superboy said, smiling at her.

"Thanks, Connor."

"Welcome to the team," Aqualad said, shaking her hand. "It's good to have you."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"If we're all ready, we can go ahead and go," he said, turning to look at the rest of the team.

They nodded, and boarded the bioship. Batgirl sat in the chair next to Robin and watched in fascination as it automatically strapped her in. Robin grinned next to her.

"Let's do this," she said.

The bioship took off and started flying towards Olympia, Washington. It was quiet for the first few minutes as they all stared out the window, waiting patiently to arrive in Olympia. Robin threw his head back, letting out a soft breath as he did so.

"Something bothering you, Rob?" M'gann asked, looking over at him.

"No. Just tired."

"He acts like he does a lot," Batgirl said, smirking at him. He gave her a look.

"I do a lot in a day, thank you."

"Like what?"

"Like put up with you all day."

She gave him a look, but couldn't help the smile that peaked through. "I should be saying that to you."

"Have you two known each other a long time?"

They looked at each other. "Quite a while."

"You act like it."

"Once we get there, we will group up near the bioship and quickly and quietly move towards the building. We'll get as much intel as we can from outside the building. Batman mainly wants to know who's involved in this meeting."

They nodded, and remained silent until the bioship reached Olympia. Getting out of it, they quickly grouped up before running into the grass on top of the cliff opposite the building. They all pulled their binoculars out except for M'gann, who vanished into the air.

 **"So we just sit and watch?"** Batgirl whispered to Robin, who nodded in agreement.

 _"Pretty much."_

 **"How fun,"** she replied, looking through her binoculars. He grinned at her.

 _"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or serious."_

 **"You're a detective. Figure it out."**

 _"Will you two please,"_ Aqualad said, looking over at them. They both threw him a look, ignoring Connor chuckling beside them.

 **"I see someone,"** Robin said, peeking into his binoculars.

 _"It's Queen Bee,"_ Connor replied, looking straight ahead.

 **"I also see Ra's al Ghul,"** Batgirl said, peeking into her own binoculars. Robin groaned.

 _"Great."_

 **"Red Arrow mentioned that in his debriefing a while ago,"** Aqualad said.

 _"It's not a good situation,"_ Robin replied, narrowing his eyes behind his mask.

 **"M'gann, what do you see?"** Aqualad asked through the mind link.

 _"Not much."_

 **"We know two of them. We've got to see if there's more."**

 _"Quiet,"_ Connor said, and he turned around. _"I think someone's here."_

 **"Aqualad, I am sensing someone near your location."**

 _"Robin, Batgirl, I need you-"_ he turned his head and noticed that they had left. _"I agree with Kid. I hate it when they do that."_

 **"What do we do?"** Connor said back.

"Move!" Aqualad cried, when figures clad in black appeared around them. Robin and Batgirl reappeared and helped them take the men down.

"League of Shadows goons," Robin said, jumping to avoid a blow.

"Watch out," Aqualad said, throwing a kick to the goons back.

"Rob!" Batgirl said, throwing him some ropes. He quickly threw them and watched as they wrapped around the man's feet. He then looked over at the others and saw them take the other two men down.

"We need to move before the others are alerted. Batman will be mad enough the way it is."

"I agree," Batgirl said, looking over at Robin. "We'll never get out of here if we don't leave now."

Robin and Connor nodded, and they all returned to the bioship right before shots were fired at them. Trying to maneuver around it, M'gann focused hard on controlling the ship, trying to stay out of the way. When they were out of the way she relaxed and laid back in her chair.

"Are you alright?" Connor asked, looking over in her direction. She nodded.

"Batman will not be pleased," Aqualad said, glancing over to Robin and Batgirl.

"In all fairness, he never is," Robin replied, and Batgirl nodded in agreement.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Jason asked, popping his head up when they appeared in the living room.

"Good, other than we were spotted. We got what we needed, and that's all that matters."

"How was it here?" Barbara asked, sitting down next to him.

"Boring."

"Have you done your homework?"

"Not yet. I was going to do it before bed."

"He'll get it done, Babs," Dick said, smiling at her. He noticed Barbara smile. "What?"

"It's just going to be hard not seeing you as Robin."

"I know, but there's still a Robin around," he replied, ruffling Jay's hair. "He's ready."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. You have the same eagerness I did when I first started."

"Next week, Jason," Barbara said, smiling at him. "Are you ready?"

"More than ready," he replied with a grin. "Can we get in some training?"

"Not yet. We need to do our homework, and I know you need help with your math." He groaned. "What is it this week?"

"Pre-algebra."

"Go get your book, and I'll help you," she said, rubbing his back. He stood up and walked upstairs. "What about you, bird boy?"

He laughed. "Mine's done. I did it in study hall."

"Look at you."

"Well, you and I are at the top of our class."

"Ready, Barbie," Jason said, returning to the living room. She cleared off the coffee table, and he pulled his math book out.

"When's your test?"

"Next Thursday."

"We have plenty of time, then," she said, looking over his homework. Dick flipped through the TV channels, trying to find something on before dinner.

"Dick," Bruce said, walking into the living room, "how'd it go?"

"Well. You know who all was there."

"Ra's al Ghul?"

"He was one of them," Dick said, giving him a look. Bruce rubbed his face. "Have you spoken to Talia lately?"

"Not in a while," he said, remembering the last time he had seen her.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Barbara asked, and Bruce didn't respond.

"Who's Talia?" Jason asked, furrowing his brow.

"Talia is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul," Bruce said, standing up. "He leads the League of Shadows, partly where I received my training from."

"Whatever the case, he is involved."

"I figured as much. Red Arrow made that clear when he did his investigation."

"Good job, Jay," Barbara said, looking at his answer.

Bruce rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks for helping him, Barbara."

"It's not a problem. I just want to make sure he does well."

"What are you going to do about Ra's?"

"Nothing. We need to do more investigating."

He sat back in his chair, remembering the last time he had seen Talia.

It was the night she had spiked his drink, and he spent the night with her.

* * *

Dick let out a deep breath, overlooking the city as he stood between Bruce and Barbara. The lights flicked around them as the sky began to cloud up. A clear-cut sign that it would be snowing soon.

Looking down at himself, he took a good look at the Robin costume, hard to not picture himself wearing this anymore.

It was his last night out as Robin. Tomorrow Jason would be dawning the suit for the first time.

Barbara looked over at him, smiling softly as though she knew what he were thinking. He threw her a smile back before returning his attention to the city. He tried to clear his head, but so many thoughts were filling it. So many memories in the suit. For nearly seven years he had worn this suit and stood proudly as Batman's sidekick, but tomorrow everything changes.

Tomorrow, he would become a hero in his own right.

He becomes Nightwing.

"Are we ready?" Batman asked, not taking his eyes off of the city. They nodded.

"Where to first?"

"We have a lead on Cobblepot," he started, turning his head towards them. "He's supplying an arms deal tonight near Wesley."

"I'd say we go stop that deal," Robin replied, grinning.

They dropped down to the car and bikes and started taking off towards Wesley, parking a few streets over. Grappling up to the building, they jumped the buildings until they finally reached their destination.

"Down there," Robin whispered, pointing to the group of men circled around each other.

"How much?" one of the men asked, looking over the gun.

"How much we talking?"

"Five-hundred."

"Psh. That gun's way more than that."

"That's my best offer."

"Boss wouldn't be happy with me if I came back with that amount."

"Tell your _boss_ not to screw people then."

The first man grabbed hold of the gun and took it back. "Deal's done."

"I agree," Batman said, jumping down between them. Batgirl threw her batarang and knocked the gun out of his hand, and she and Robin began to take the other man down. Batman grabbed hold of the man's shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "Where's Cobblepot?"

"I ain't telling you!" he hissed. Batman raised his hand and smashed it on the wall next to his head.

"Talk!"

"Never to you!"

He punched his stomach, causing the man to cough. "TALK!"

"H-he's by the docks," the man coughed out. "Good luck getting to him. He's well guarded."

"I enjoy a challenge," he replied, knocking the man unconscious. He looked back over Batgirl and Robin who were high-fiving each other as they took their own man down. "Penguin's down by the docks."

They started on the path down to the docks, parking their vehicles not far from it. Grappling up to the top of the building, they looked around, spotting several men hanging out in front. Batman issued hand commands, and Robin and Batgirl nodded, taking their own positions where he required. Waiting for Batman's command, they looked at each other, impatience growing as the seconds passed. They finally saw the command and jumped down, surprising the men who were standing there. Quickly taking them down, they entered the building, jumping out of the way to avoid the gunshots. Batgirl threw a smoke bomb, and they turned their detective vision on.

"Where are those brats?!"

"Find them!"

"Right here," Robin taunted, quickly taking one of the men out. Batgirl stuck close to him, taking her own men out as quickly as she could.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the bat and the bird," Penguin said, showing up with more goons at his side. "Where's Batman, huh?"

"It's just us, Penguin. He thought we could take you on our own."

"Oh, did he, now?" he asked, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Boys, show 'em who's boss."

"Right away, sir," they replied, jumping over the railing. Batgirl and Robin looked at each other, grinning.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Maneuver five?"

"Exactly."

They jumped out of the way, trying their hardest to avoid the gunhots. Penguin watched from above, tapping his umbrella against the railing. While taking the goons down, the window above crashed, and Batman flew down, earning a cry from Penguin.

"You're going away, Cobblepot."

"Robin!" Batgirl cried, throwing a batarang at the man holding the gun near him. It flew out of his hand, and she jumped up to kick him in his head. They finished taking down the men below, watching Batman as he handcuffed Penguin.

"Good work," he said, looking around. "GCPD is on their way."

"Are you ok?" Batgirl asked, taking a look at Robin's arm.

"I'm fine," he said, and Batman looked at it, taking gauze out of his belt. He wrapped it around his arm.

"We'll check it soon, but I think you're alright."

Batgirl smiled at him before they returned to the car and bike, and she hopped on her bike while they climbed into the car. The sirens drove past them.

"Where to next, boss?" Batgirl asked.

The scanner went off again, and they trailed off to the bank to take down Two-Face and his crew. When they finally took then down, and returned to the cave, Dick remarked how incredible his final night as Robin was. With a bittersweet emotion filling him, he removed his suit for the final time and went to bed.

* * *

"Ah, the weekend," Dick said, a grin spreading across his face. Barbara shook her head as they walked to the first floor, waiting for Jason by his locker. She looked though her book bag, making sure she would have everything she needed.

"There you are," Barbara said, when Jason walked up to them. "Did you get your test back?"

He handed her the packet of papers, and she turned to look at Dick before flipping it over, smiles lighting up both of their faces.

"Jason! You got an A!" she said, giving him a hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Look at that," Dick said, looking at the test when Barbara handed it to him. "Great job, Jay."

"Thanks for the help, Barbie," he said, smiling at her.

"You did this all yourself. You're intelligent, Jay. I've told you that before. Dick and I know you were struggling when you first came here, but look at you now. You just got an A on a very hard test. Even your report card last semester was good for starting more than halfway through. B's and even a few A's. I see all A's this semester."

"You think?" he asked, putting his test back into his folder.

"Absolutely," Dick said, grinning at him. "Barbara and I are both here to help if you need it."

He packed his book bag for the weekend, and they all walked out to Alfred's car. Climbing inside, they waited until he shut the door, got into the driver's seat, and began to drive off before talking.

"How was school today?"

"Tell Alfred your good news," Barbara said to Jason.

"I got an A on my test," he replied quietly.

"Very good, Master Jason," Alfred replied, smiling in the rearview mirror. "I know you would do well."

"Thanks," he replied.

"Master Richard? Miss. Barbara?"

"Just another day, Alfie," Dick replied with a grin.

"Well, I do have some good news for you. Your new suit is ready."

"Really?" he asked, sitting up.

"Master Bruce finished it earlier. It's down in the cave."

"That's so exciting," Barbara said, smiling at him.

"I must say it is quite impressive, young sir."

"You've seen it?"

"I sure have. It suits you, sir."

He smiled. "Thanks, Alfred."

When the car pulled in sometime later, they all got out and walked to the living room, pulling their books out of their book bags. Dick groaned when he pulled his book out.

"Don't pull that face," Barbara said, rolling her eyes. "Our assignment is to read act one from Romeo and Juliet and fill out the answer sheet."

Jason grinned at him. "Have fun with that, Dicky."

"Don't be laughing too soon, Todd. You'll have a book report near the end of the semester."

His grin fell as he groaned. "Darn."

Barbara laughed as she looked through her book. "It's not too many pages. You and I can do this together while Jay works on his science homework."

They worked on their homework until Alfred called them for dinner. Barbara repacked her book bag and took it down to the cave, hiding it in the Batmobile. She spotted a box sitting at the desk, and her excitement at seeing Dick's new suit grew. She walked back upstairs to the dining room and sat next to Dick.

"I can't wait to see your suit," Barbara said, practically jumping up and down with anticipation. Dick grinned at her.

"After dinner, Miss. Gordon," Alfred replied with a smile, putting plates down in front of them. "Master Jason, just for you."

"Steak?" Jason asked, his eyes lighting up. Barbara hid a smile.

"Steaks with mashed potatoes and corn," Alfred replied, putting teas in front of them.

"I guess we found your favorite meal," Dick said, taking a bite of his corn.

"Steak is good," he replied, cutting into his own.

"I think someone's a little eager," Barbara said, eating some of her food.

"I think he's more eager than I was when I first started."

"I've been trained by the best. I'm ready to show you what I've learned."

"And you will, Jay. Tonight's the night."

"There's no better feeling than flying through the air," Barbara said, smiling at the thought. "Enjoying the darkened sky, under the moon and the stars. The rush you get taking down the bad guys alongside one of the world's greatest heroes. There's nothing like it."

"You know, if we didn't have secret identities, you could have made an excellent poem for our poetry books."

"Shut up, bird brain," she replied, rolling her eyes while flashing him a grin. She took a bite of her steak. "Not everyone got to enjoy the rush of being a circus performer."

He grinned. "Don't be jealous there, Babs."

"Like I could ever be jealous of you."

"Boom," Jason said, before taking a bite of his potatoes. Dick gave him a look while Barbara laughed.

"Ok, I am not liking this little partnership you two have developed."

"What partnership?" Barbara asked, pouting her lip with a guilty expression on her face. Dick rolled his eyes.

"You're not fooling anyone."

Barbara finished her dinner first. "I'm going to get changed. Meet you down there."

They nodded, and she wiped her mouth off before getting up and walking out of the dining room. Jason turned to Dick.

"What was your first night as Robin like?"

Dick smiled, taking another bite of his food. He then put his fork down and turned to him. "It was pretty incredible. Bruce and I worked on finding Zucco together, but we ran into Joker. He didn't seem very happy that Bruce had a sidekick. He's been after me ever since."

"What do you mean?"

"He's tried to kill me," he replied quietly, remembering back to the last time he had seen Joker.

"You need to you caution," he said softly. "Joker is dangerous and there's no telling what he will do to us if he ever gets his hands on us."

Jason nodded, turning his head away. "Has he ever gotten close to you?"

"Not really. There was a time last year when the team and I had to take down the Injustice league. You probably remember when those giant plants attacked the world. Joker was a part of that group, and he was furious that we had stopped them. He started attacking me with knives, and it was hard to hold my own against him. Batman and the rest of the Justice League showed up and they surrendered. Well, Joker tried to poison us and he got knocked out."

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know. We captured Harley Quinn, but she's not saying anything. He escaped from Arkham a while ago. He's planning something."

They didn't say anything until they both finished their plates. Jason pushed his forward. "I'm ready."

"So am I. Let's go meet Babs."

They walked out of the dining room and downstairs to the cave, spotting Bruce sitting at his computer. Barbara emerged from around the corner.

"Evening, Bruce." He nodded. "So it's ready, then?"

"Right here," he replied, putting his hand on the box.

"That means," Dick started, turning to the Robin suit in the glass case, "this goes to you, little brother."

He took the suit out and handed it to Jason, smiling softly. He took it slowly, running his hands over the fabric. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Go suit up."

He grinned at him before disappearing behind the corner. Bruce stood up, smoothing out his own suit.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, and Dick nodded, taking the box from him.

"It's time for me to move on, Bruce."

"And I respect that," he said.

He put the box onto the table and opened it, smiling softly as he saw the black suit. He pulled it out and looked over it, glad Barbara had talked him out of the other suit. He stared at the blue symbol dawning the chest plate.

"The name?" Bruce said, and Dick turned to look at him. "Nightwing? How'd you come up with that?"

He smiled again, turning his head towards Bruce. "A friend."

"Suit up."

"Yes, sir."

Barbara watched as he disappeared. "How are you?"

"What do you mean?" Bruce asked, gathering his files.

"I know how hard this must be for you."

He didn't say anything, but he put the files back onto his desk. They stood in silence as they waited on the boys. After another minute Jason appeared from around the corner, smoothing out his suit as he did so.

"Awe," she said, putting her hands on his cheeks. "You look great, Jay."

"Thanks, Barbie," he replied, putting his mask on. "I'm ready."

She laughed. "I know you are. We have to wait on Wingnut to finish getting ready."

Dick finally stepped out from around the corner. "What do you think?"

"Wow," she said, looking him up and down. "You look great."

"Thanks for convincing me to take this design," he replied with a laugh. He looked over at Jason. "Look at you, brother. You look great."

"Can we go?" he asked. They laughed.

"Are we ready, Bruce?"

He nodded, putting his cowl on. "Equipment check, Nightwing."

Dick lifted up his gauntlet and made sure it worked. He then checked his belt and made sure everything was stocked in it.

"Good to go."

"Let's do this," Bruce said, walking up next to Jason. "Ready?"

"Born ready."

"You're with me. Nightwing, Batgirl, takes the bikes."

"Where to, boss?" Dick asked, putting his mask on.

"I have a lead on Ivy," he replied, sending the information to their gauntlets. They each pulled their own up. "Mysterious plants have started sprouting near the south side of Gotham. When the police went to investigate, Gordon alerted me that they returned different, as though they were being controlled."

"You think she's hiding in a flower shop?" Jason asked, furrowing his brow.

"I believe she's in a greenhouse located near Ace Chemicals."

"Perfect cover," Barbara muttered. Bruce turned to her.

"Stay low. If she doesn't know you're there, we could have the element of surprise."

"Got it."

"Meet me near Ace," Bruce said, and he and Jason hopped into the car. Dick and Barbara got onto their bikes.

"Ready for this?" she asked, putting her helmet on. He grinned at her.

"I've been ready for this."

They revved their bikes and followed the Batmobile out to the city. They drove to Ace and parked their bikes in the alley behind next to the Batmobile. Jason got out, grinning from ear to ear.

"That car is awesome."

"Focus, Robin," Batman said, pulling his gauntlet up. "Security systems are down in the greenhouses."

"I can sneak in through the back."

"Batgirl, up top," he ordered. "Robin and I will go in the side entrance."

"Good luck, Rob," Nightwing said, fist bumping him.

"Same to you," he replied, before following Batman out. Nightwing turned to Batgirl.

"Stay safe."

"You, too," she replied with a smile before grappling up to the building. She reached the top of the greenhouse and looked through the glass, trying to spot Ivy amongst the plants. Down the side she saw one of the glass windows burst open, and Batman and Robin jumped in, prepared to fight.

Branches came up through the ceiling, and they wrapped around her middle before she could get away. They pulled her through the glass and wrapped tighter around her. She tried reaching for her batarangs but was unable to move her arms. She struggled to breathe.

"Batgirl! Hang on!" Nightwing's voice called out, and he fired two of his own batarangs into the plant, causing it to drop her. He quickly ran up and caught her, stumbling back slightly.

"Thanks," she replied, getting back on her feet. They jumped out of the way of another barreling down on them, joining Batman and Robin up at the front.

"Reveal yourself, Ivy!" Batman ordered.

"Are you looking for me, Batman?"

"Batgirl," Nightwing whispered, giving her the meta collar, "I need you to get to her and put this on."

"What is it?"

"It's a meta collar. It'll stop her powers."

She nodded and grabbed for it, placing it behind her back. Batman and Robin shot batarangs off at the plants, trying to draw Ivy out. Batgirl and Nightwing attempted to get to her.

"Fools!" she cried, the plants trying to crush them.

"Robin! Up top!" Nightwing called out, and Robin quickly ran over to him, jumping into his hands to be thrown up to the balcony. Batgirl pulled her grapple out and joined him up top.

"We need to get this on her," she told Robin. He nodded, looking forward.

"Batman said she's in there," he said, pointing to the pod in the corner of the room. "He and Nightwing are going to try to distract her so we can get there."

"I might have an idea," she said, reaching for her belt. They quickly moved out of the way when the plant they were standing next to started moving to attack them. It wrapped around his foot and pulled him down. "Robin!"

"Hold on, Rob!" Nightwing called out, throwing his batarangs at the plant. Batgirl moved forward, trying to get to Ivy while Batman was distracting her.

"BG!" Robin called, jumping back up to her.

"You alright?"

"Fine."

"The bat and the bird," Ivy's voice said, echoing in the building. "I don't seem to recognize the new one. Another ally there, Batman?"

"Now!" Batman ordered, and Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin shot their batarangs into the pod, forcing it open. Batman threw one of his ropes and tied it around her, pulling her to the ground. Batgirl and Robin quickly jumped down, and she stuck the collar around her neck.

"You're through, Ivy," Batman said, untying the rope. He then put her in handcuffs.

"Don't be so sure," she said, a smirk filling her face.

"Good work, Rob," Nightwing said, grinning at him.

"Night's not over yet," he replied, raising his staff over his shoulder.

"No, it's not," Batman said, putting his finger up to his ear. "There's more work to be done."

"Batman," Jim said, walking into the building. Batgirl quickly turned away, and Robin and Nightwing surrounded her. "I see you got Ivy for us."

"All yours," he replied, pushing her forward.

"Good work. At least that explains what happened to my officers."

"Maybe you shouldn't cross me next time," she said seductively.

"Get her out of here!" he ordered, and his men grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

"Where to next?" Robin asked with eagerness. Nightwing grinned at him.

Jim's scanner went off. _"All units, all units, attempted burglary at the Marathon Gas Station near Main Street."_

"My men will meet you there," he said, and they all rushed out to the vehicles and started off towards the gas station. As the night went on, Jason would remark to himself later on that it was one of the best nights of his life.

* * *

"Are we ready?" Dick asked, smoothing out his suit. Jason and Barbara nodded.

"I'll go with Barbara."

Dick looked over at her, who smiled in response. "Sure, Jay. You can ride with me."

"Let's move," Dick said, and they hopped onto their bikes. Barbara threw a smile back at Jason as he snuggled close to her.

"Helmet, Jay," she said, handing it back to him. He quickly put it on and wrapped his arms around her middle.

"Watch it there, kid," Dick said, putting his helmet on. "She'll punch the daylights out of you if you touch anywhere but her stomach."

"How would you know that?" Jason asked, throwing him a confused look. Barbara smirked as Dick blushed before revving his bike and driving out. "Barbie?"

"Let's just say Dick's hand slipped one day," she replied. "He had a black eye for a couple of days."

"Did he do it intentionally?"

"I don't think so. We hit a bump, and he accidently touched them. Still had to teach him a lesson, though."

Jason laughed, and she began following Dick out of the cave. They eventually reached the booth and they put their bikes into the garage.

"This is it. You ready?"

"More than ready," Jason replied, flashing him a grin. "How's your eye, Nightwing?"

He opened his mouth before closing it again, blushing slightly. "Let's go."

He opened the booth and allowed Barbara to step inside. When she disappeared, he opened it again for Jason.

"Take your mask off for a second, then put it back on."

He nodded and stepped into the booth. He took his mask off and watched as it examined his eyes before putting it back on.

 _"Recognize: Robin, B15."_

He reappeared in what he assumed was the cave, where Batgirl was waiting for him. Everyone was staring at him.

"Rob?" M'gann asked, cranking her head to the side.

"Kind of," he replied with a grin.

 _"Recognize: Nightwing, B01."_

"Nightwing?" Connor asked. Wally grinned.

"You all are in for a treat."

"Hey guys," Nightwing said, grinning from ear to ear. "I know you all have missed me."

"Robin?" M'gann asked. He shook his head.

"Not anymore. We have a new Robin," he replied, pushing Robin forward.

"Look at you," Artemis said, standing up to shake his hand. 'I'm Artemis."

"Robin," he replied quietly, looking away.

"When did all of this happen?" Connor asked, looking confused. Nightwing laughed.

"It's been happening for a while now. He's trained up and ready to go, but still not allowed to join the team yet."

"These are my boys," Batgirl said, wrapping her arm around Robin's shoulder.

"It's nice to meet you, Robin," M'gann said, smiling at him while shaking his hand. "My name's Megan, or M'gann."

"Connor," he said, also shaking his hand.

"Wally."

"Artemis."

"Zatanna."

"Rocket."

"Kaldur'ahm, or Aqualad. We also have Tula and Garth, but they're not here at the moment."

"It's nice to meet all of you," he replied, shaking all of their hands.

"I love your new look," M'gann said, placing her hand on Nightwing's chest. "You look great!"

"Thanks," he replied with a grin.

"It's going to be weird not calling you Rob," Wally said, looking between him and Robin, "but congratulations."

"Thanks. Take care of Rob for me, will ya? He's a little shy."

"Will you quit telling people that?" he asked, clearly annoyed. Batgirl smiled.

"How long have you been Robin for?" Zatanna asked softly.

"I started a couple of days ago. I've been training with Nightwing and Batgirl for a while now."

"Started off the same way Batgirl did. They'll both be going through Justice League training next month," Nightwing said, putting his hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Should be fun, right?" Batgirl asked, smiling at them. Robin grinned.

"Batgirl, why don't you give him a tour?" Nightwing suggested, and she nodded

"C'mon, Rob," she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. Artemis and M'gann followed behind them.

"How's the kid doing?" Wally asked when they were out of sight.

"He's done well. He's been out every night since he started and he's getting better."

"Batman adjusting well?"

"Better than I thought, actually. I gave Rob some tips on how to deal with him."

"What does this mean for you?" Zatanna asked, and he turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you still working with Batman?"

"Of course I am. I'm just….I'm more independent now. I'm no longer his sidekick."

"Sounds complicated," Wally added in. Nightwing gave him a look.

"I really do like your new look," Zatanna said, eyeing him. Wally grinned.

"Thanks, Z."

She gave him another look over before turning to follow behind Batgirl and Robin. Wally waited until she was out of sight before punching Nightwing in the arm, grinning at him.

"Looks like Zatanna's not over you," he said, as they walked to the kitchen. Nightwing turned his head.

"She's the one who ended it."

"Can you blame her? You weren't exactly honest with her."

"I have orders. I have to follow those orders."

"But you're not longer Batman's sidekick, right?"

"Wally," Nightwing said, turning to him suddenly, "I have reasons."

"You two were happy together. Why end that?"

He didn't say anything, but turned his head away and rubbed the back of his neck. Wally thought about it for a minute before grinning.

"Is it Batsy over there?" he asked, gesturing his head towards Batgirl. Nightwing sighed angrily.

"No!"

"Then what is it?"

"It's Batman and his orders, Wally. I follow them-most of the time."

"Nightwing, you need to let go sometimes. Live a little."

"Maybe you let go too much," he replied, stealing one of M'gann's cookies. Wally put his hand on his arm.

"Just, think about it. Zatanna still really cares for you. Maybe you should give it another shot, and be honest with her this time."

He took a bite of the cookie, looking over at Zatanna, who was laughing at one of Artemis' jokes. The flutters that first appeared in his stomach when he first met her were appearing again, and he watched as she continued to talk to Artemis, taking small bites of his cookie as he did so.

"You still like her," Wally chanted into his ear. He snapped back to reality.

"So what? Nothing's changed."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked, pointing his finger to the blue symbol on his chest. "I think a lot has changed."

He didn't respond, but he looked over at Zatanna again, his mind going into overdrive as he thought Wally's words over in his mind.

* * *

"Well, well, look who it is," Robin said, grinning at the bike that was pulling up to them. Batgirl took off her helmet and shook her hair out.

"Nice to see ya," Nightwing said, grinning from ear to ear. She smiled back at him.

"I didn't want to miss out on the fun."

The batsignal lit the sky, and Bruce put his finger up to his ear. "Your father is wanting to talk to me."

Barbara looked up. "I have no idea about what."

"Robin, you're with me. Nightwing, Batgirl, take the bikes."

They nodded, and Robin hopped into the car while Nightwing and Batgirl hopped onto their bikes. They followed the Batmobile to GCPD and grappled up to the top.

"Another one, huh?" Jim said, looking over Nightwing.

"What do you have for me?"

"Joker. He's been spotted around the old Halloween store on 22nd. You might want to investigate."

"We're on it," he replied with a nod. "What about Quinn?"

"Still in Arkham, but not talking." He looked over at Batgirl, who had her back turned to him. "Everything alright, Batgirl?"

She looked over at Nightwing. She then turned her voice magnifier on. "Just fine, commissioner."

She followed Batman back down to the ground before he could question her again. Letting out a deep breath, she turned the magnifier off and climbed back onto her bike.

"You ok?" Nightwing asked her, climbing onto his own bike. She shrugged.

"Let's just go," she said, before driving off. They followed the Batmobile back to 22nd and parked their bikes.

"Use caution. All of you," Batman ordered, staring Robin down. They nodded before quietly walking into the Halloween store.

"Batsy!" a slick voice said, and the hairs on Barbara's arms stood up. "You're right on time, and with a new ally I see."

The lights suddenly turned on, and they found themselves face to face with two dozen of Joker's men. Nightwing and Batgirl turned to each other and grinned.

"There's another one?! You have got to be kidding me!" one of the goons called out.

"Let's the games begin!" Joker's voice rang out again.

They started taking down the men. Nightwing stood close to Robin, wanting to make sure that he would be alright.

"Having fun?" he asked, grinning at him as he punched the guy in the gut. Robin grinned back, using his staff to smash a man in the head.

"Way too much."

"Are you trying to find me, Batman? I'm not far."

"We've got this covered!" Nightwing called out. "Find Joker!"

Batman nodded, and took off to the back of the building. The three teenagers looked at the remaining dozen men still standing.

"Look at these scared little children," of the men called out, grinning as he pulled out his knife. "Your _daddy_ seems to have left you."

"He left you with us," Robin said, tapping his staff against his hand.

 _"Ohh_ , the birdie is threatening us."

"We're shaking in our boots," another man laughed out.

"Robin, maneuver two," Nightwing said, grinning slightly. Robin looked up at him and pulled out his batarangs, firing them at the crowd. "Now!"

They ran towards them, and Nightwing and Robin fell to their knees, using both ends of Robin's staff to knock them to their feet. Batgirl jumped over them and knocked two other men out of the way, turning around to begin fighting with a third. The boys got back to their feet and took down the remaining men.

"Now, Nightwing!" Batgirl called out, and he jumped up and wrapped the ropes around the men's feet, watching as they stumbled and fell to the floor.

"Batgirl!" Robin called out, using his staff to fight off an attacker behind her. She smiled at him.

"Good eye."

"I told you I'm not going to let you get hurt," he replied with a grin.

"Not bad," Nightwing said, looking around. "Good work, _Rob_."

"Thanks, Wingnut," he replied, and Barbara laughed. Dick gave her a look.

"You taught him that, didn't you?"

"Not at all," she replied with a grin, rubbing Jason's arm.

"We need to find Batman," he said, and they all quickly rushed to the back of the building, looking around.

"Three lost children, where no one can find them."

"Batman?" Batgirl called out.

"Two birds flew out too soon, while a little bat should rest her wings."

"Be careful. He's been trying to kill me for years," Nightwing muttered, looking around. He looked up, just in time to see a canister fall from the ceiling. They jumped out of the way. "Ceiling! Now!"

They grappled up to the ceiling, and he quickly broke a hole through the roof. He helped Robin and Batgirl out before climbing out, just narrowly missing the gas.

"Are you ok?" Batgirl asked him, helping him to his feet.

"Fine."

"Where's Batman?" Robin asked, looking around.

"I have no idea." He put his finger up to his ear. "Batman?"

"Static," Batgirl said. "Comms are down."

"We need to move."

"What about Joker?"

"He's long gone by now. We need to get out of here."

They jumped back down to the ground and walked to their bikes. "I want you and Batgirl to go back to the cave."

"Nightwing!" they called out, but he put his hand up to silence them.

"I need to find Batman. Now go. Get him back to the cave, BG."

"I'm not leaving you," she said, her eyes glowing. He stared back definitely.

"I am in charge, and I gave you both an order. Get out of here."

"No," she ordered, staring him down. Jason nodded in agreement.

"Fine," he replied, looking away from them. He walked over to the Batmobile and hopped inside, trying to get Bruce's location through it.

"Batman?" he called, trying to get ahold of him. "Nightwing to Batman?"

He tapped his fingers against the computer, waiting for an answer. He scowled when he didn't get one. He started looking for the tracer put into the suit.

"Where are you?" he muttered, tapping his finger against the computer again. The signal finally went off.

He was still inside the building.

"Shit," he muttered, looking over to it. Batgirl and Robin looked at him.

"What's the matter?"

"He's inside the building!"

"Are you sure he's in there, Nightwing?" Robin asked, looking around the corner.

"Positive, and he hasn't communicated." He looked at Batgirl. "I need you to hack the computer."

She huffed. "After the lecture Bruce gave me?"

"I'm serious. We need to find him."

"Fine," she replied, getting into the car. She got onto the computer. "He's in the other building across the street."

"Let's go investigate," Nightwing said, and they followed him across the street, carefully entering the abandoned building.

"Batman?" Robin called out, looking around.

"Batman?" Batgirl called out, following close to him. Nightwing moved away from them, peeking his head around the corner. Batgirl and Robin slowly moved towards the center of the building.

"Nightwing?" she said softly. "We're not alone in here, are we?"

His stomach suddenly sinking, Nightwing turned around, his heart stopping as he saw Scarecrow standing behind Robin, ready to gas him.

"NO! ROBIN!" he cried, moving to push him out of the way. Robin turned around, just in time for Nightwing to push him to the floor.

The gas began filling his system, and he found it hard to breath. He couldn't move, as he suddenly found himself on the ground, grabbing for his head. Images flew through it. Bruce dead. Alfred dead. Barbara dead. Jason dead. Every one of his friends at the cave dead.

His parents dying all over again.

"Nightwing!" Batgirl said, running up to him.

"Scarecrow!" Robin called, ready for a fight.

"What are you seeing, little bird?" he asked, circling around him. Nightwing fought the urge to black out. "Maybe you left the Bat's side too soon."

"What'd you do to him?!" Robin said, running up to him. Scarecrow put his finger up, shaking it slightly.

"I wouldn't if I were you. One press of a button and this whole block experiences my fear gas. Check your _ally_ over there. It doesn't look like he has much longer left."

Batgirl rubbed his head, alarmed by how hot it was. Robin stood defiant, thinking something over in his mind.

"I wonder what's going through his head," Scarecrow said soothingly, circling Robin. "Shall we see what's going through yours?"

"Stand down, Crane!"

"No!" he said, turning around. "Joker was supposed to be dealing with you!"

"It was Clayface, Crane. You got played. Stand down," Batman said, walking out of the shadows.

"Don't come much closer. Your precious little _Nightwing_ isn't looking too good, and the whole block will go down with him if I hit this switch."

Robin looked up at Batman, nodding. Throwing his staff, he managed to get Crane's hand away from the detonator, allowing Batman to run up and throw punches. Robin attacked from the back, using his staff to let out his anger.

"Robin!" Batman ordered, and he stood down. He picked Crane up and pressed him against the wall. "What did you do to him?"

Scarecrow smirked. "Why deal with me, when you can be saving his life?"

"Batman, sirens," Robin said, and he knocked Scarecrow unconscious.

"How is he?" he asked, as he and Jason ran over to Barbara. She shook her head, tears in her eyes. Bruce picked him up and put him in the passenger seat of the Batmobile. "We need to get to the cave. Now."

He took out an object neither Jason nor Barbara recognized, and he stuck it in Dick's arm. He then got into the car and quickly drove off. Jason walked over to Barbara, who was still on the ground.

"We need to go, Batgirl."

"He'll be alright, right?" she asked, shaking. He nodded, pulling her up.

"We need to go," he stressed, listening to the sounds of the sirens coming closer. She nodded, and they quickly hopped onto their bikes, following behind Bruce back to the cave.

"Alfred," Bruce said, quickly putting Dick onto the bed, "Scarecrow drugged him. We need a sedative."

"Right away, sir," he said, rushing to the med box.

"Barbie," Jason said, coaxing her off her bike. She finally took his hand, and they walked over to the bed, watching as Dick thrashed around.

"Help me," he cried out. "Somebody help me!"

"He's remembering the night his parents died," Bruce said, running back over to him.

"Dick," Barbara said, grabbing for his hand. "Dick, it's me, Barbara. You have to fight this."

"Babs," he breathed out. "Babs, stay with me!"

Alfred rushed up and injected Dick, watching as his breathing slowed. Barbara rubbed his hand, her heart beating against her chest. Jay pulled up a chair and sat down, staying silent.

"He'll be alright," Bruce said. "We've given him a sedative. He just needs to sleep it off."

"Try not to worry, Miss. Gordon. He's strong."

"What about you? How do you feel?" Bruce asked Jason, who shrugged.

"Dick took all of the gas. I wasn't affected."

"You both need to get some rest," he said, looking between him and Barbara.

"I'm not leaving," she replied.

"Barbara, you need to go home," Jason said, moving to sit next to her. "If your father finds out you're not there…."

"I'd rather be here."

"He's right, Barbara. Dick will be fine. You need to go home."

She couldn't look away from Dick, and Jason moved to place his hand on her shoulder. "Barbara, please."

"Alright," she finally agreed. She gave Dick's hand a small squeeze before she stood up and put her helmet on and drove out of the cave.

"Go to bed, Jason," Bruce ordered, watching the bike drive off.

"Bruce-"

"Go to bed."

"Yes, sir," he replied, and walked out of the cave.

"His blood sample is clean, sir," Alfred said, looking at the monitor. "It's one of Crane's lesser-known formulas, I would assume."

"We got lucky. It could have been much worse."

"I think Miss. Gordon would say otherwise."

"What was Crane doing there?" Bruce asked, looking over at Dick. "Clayface poses as Joker, and Scarecrow shows up."

"It is most concerning, Master Bruce, especially since Master Richard was affected."

"I'm going to talk to Jason before he goes to bed. I'll take Dick up to his own. Turn in for the night, Alfred."

"Very well, sir," he said, shutting the computer off.

* * *

Dick moaned, ignoring the pain in his head, as struggled to open his eyes. His vision was blurred for a moment before he saw Jason looking down at him.

"Good afternoon," he said, cranking his head to the side.

"Afternoon? Wha-"

"Easy," he said, pushing Dick back down on the bed. "Scarecrow gassed you. You've been out ever since."

"That explains why I feel like death," he replied, a hint of laughter in his voice. Jason couldn't help but chuckle. Dick turned his head to his right and saw Barbara there, her arms resting on the bed and her head between them.

"She stayed up all night worrying about you," Jason said, looking over at her. "I convinced her to go home before her father caught her. She came back a couple hours ago, dead tired. Said she wasn't able to sleep."

"And you?" he asked, looking at the bags underneath Jay's eyes. He shrugged. "I'm alright."

"You jumped in front of me. You saved me from the gas."

He shrugged, looking away. "I made a promise to myself when Barbara first started this that she would never get hurt. That same promise goes to you as well."

"I can protect myself."

"I know you can," Dick replied with a grin. "I've still got your back, and I know you've got mine."

Barbara stirred, and they both waited for her to sit up. "How many times are you going to hurt yourself this year?"

Dick laughed. "It hasn't been the best for me lately."

"How do you feel?" she asked, standing up. He shrugged.

"I'm fine."

"That was a brave thing you did," she said, smiling softly. He shrugged again, not knowing what to say.

"I'm starving," he said, breaking the silence.

"Alfred made you a plate. I can bring it up."

"No, I'm getting out of here," he replied, pushing the bedsheets up. Jason helped him up before they all walked downstairs.

"Master Richard!" Alfred said in surprise. "You shouldn't be up and walked around."

"I'm fine, Alfred."

He huffed. "You boys are something."

Dick grinned. "We're strong, aren't we, Jay?"

"Well, I saved you a plate, sir," he replied, putting the plate into the microwave.

"Where's Bruce?"

"He got called away. Justice League mission."

"And he left without me," Dick said with a grin, biting into his food.

"Never the less, Master Richard, how do you feel?"

"I'm fine. I slept it off. What about Scarecrow?"

"He's back in Arkham," Barbara said, sitting down next to him.

"Good," he replied, taking another bite of his food. "This is really good, Alfred."

"Thank you, Master Richard."

"Are you alright? I've never seen you eat this much."

"Master Bruce ate like that around his age, too. Just a part of growing up," Alfred replied, washing off the plates in the sink.

"Don't worry so much about me, Babs. I'm alright."

"Well, I have some homework to do," Jason said, jumping out of his seat.

"You need to take a nap, Jay. You look exhausted."

"I lived on the streets, Dick. I can run on little sleep."

He turned and walked out of the kitchen. Barbara smiled softly.

"He was really worried about you, although he would never show it."

"You both worry too much."

"That's why you jumped in front of Jason?" she replied, raising an eyebrow and throwing a soft smile his way.

"Touché."

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"I'm fine, Babs. Now, I think I could use some help on my own homework, if you don't mind."

"Sure, bird brain," she replied, shoving his head slightly. He let out a laugh.

* * *

Later that night, Barbara sat on the windowsill, smiling softly as she watched the snow fall down outside of her window. Pulling her blanket tighter around herself, she took another drink of her hot chocolate before placing it on the table next to her. She picked her book up and started reading from where she left off.

Something tapped at the window, and she nearly jumped out of her seat. Putting her book down, she turned to look, hiding a smile when she saw who it was.

"Oh where oh where has my little Robin gone? Oh, he's Nightwing now and he's outside of my window," she said, pushing it open to let him in. She quickly closed it.

"Hey, Babs."

"Do you see the door right there?"

"Do you see what I'm wearing?" he shot back with a grin. "I can't exactly come in through the front door."

"Why are you here?" she asked, cranking her head to the side.

"I wanted to see you."

"You see my every day, bird brain."

"I really needed to get away. I was going to go the cave, but I didn't feel like going today."

She noticed his nonchalance. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah."

"Dick," she replied, throwing him _that look_ , "what's the matter?"

"Nothing, Barbara," he said softly.

"Then why are you here? What's the real reason?"

He sighed and sat down on her couch, taking his mask off in the process. "When Scarecrow gassed me, it really messed with my mind."

"What happened?" she whispered, taking his mask and placing it on the coffee table.

"Everyone around me was dying. I watched my parents die all over again, and they blamed me for it. I saw each one of you go down, and I couldn't save any of you. It's like I was stuck. I screamed for all of you-"

He cut off, swallowing as he did so. She placed her hand over her mouth.

"None of it's real, Dick. That's what his gas does. It messes with your mind."

"It was so lifelike," he continued on, as though he didn't hear her. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it."

"Listen to me," she whispered, placing her hands on his cheeks, "it was just a hallucination. That's what Scarecrow wants is for you to panic."

"This wasn't the first time something like this happened. When we first started the team, Batman and Manhunter had us go under a mental exercise. It was designed to be a failure mission so no matter what we did, we failed. In the vision, Artemis died and M'gann lost control of reality. Everyone but her died. When we finally awoke, we were all shaken up, and we didn't know how to move forward. It's like that all over again."

She didn't know what to say. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to imagine the training exercise in her mind. He rubbed his face, letting out a deep breath.

"Now the gas has hit me, and it was like that all over again. Seeing all of you killed-"

"Dick," she said, turning his head back towards her, "It's all over."

"You didn't see it," he whispered, avoiding her eyes. "Babs, I-"

"Shh," she said, wrapping her arms around him. "Everything's ok. It was just a nightmare."

He pulled back, and the vision of her dying in his arms flashed through his mind. He started shaking again, closing his eyes as he did so. Her hand rubbed circles on his back, soothing him. He began to calm down, and they just stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company.

"Babs," he whispered, looking back at her. "I can't lose you."

"You're not losing me," she said softly, rubbing her thumb against his cheek. "You're not losing any of us. Not Bruce, not Jason, Alfred or anyone at the cave."

He stared back at her, electricity shooting through his skin where her hands touched it. Reaching up, he took them in his own, rubbing his thumbs across them.

 _'You're going too far,'_ his mind tried to stop him.

"Babs," he whispered again, both unable to turn from the other. Her breath hitched in her throat as he moved an inch forward.

"Dick," she whispered back, her eyes shining.

They both leaned forward at the same time. Both of their minds were screaming at them to stop, and they were just centimeters away from each other's lips.

"We shouldn't," she whispered, and he nodded his head, as though half-listening.

Their lips touched. Their minds were racing and their hearts were pounding. The kiss was slow, but, somehow, it felt right. After a moment her arms reached up and wrapped around his neck, and his settled on her waist, pulling her as close to him as she could go. She moaned, and he lost all common sense, falling forward onto the couch when she pulled him down.

Holy crap, he was kissing Barbara.

Her hands were running through his hair as he hovered over her. Their lips moved furiously against each other. As wrong as it was, it was perfect, and neither seemed to want to break away from the other.

That's when his communication started going off.

He quickly pulled away from her, fear etched onto his face. Standing up, he reached up and placed his finger onto it.

"Nightwing."

"Master Richard!"

"Alfred?" he asked, concern growing in him. Barbara stood up. "What's wrong?"

"It's Master Jason, sir. He's gone."


	8. Relief

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"He's run off, sir. I'll explain back at the cave."

"What's wrong?" Barbara asked, clearly worried.

"Jason. He's gone," Dick said with panic in his voice.

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"I don't know, but we need to get to the cave and now."

"Let me get changed," she said, and she quickly disappeared into her bedroom before reappearing a moment later. They hopped out of her window and down to their bikes, speeding off to the cave as they did so.

"Alfred?" Dick asked, as they pulled in. "What happened? Where is he?"

"I don't know," he replied, turning away from the computer. "One minute he was fine, and the next he wasn't. I tried to get his attention, but he was adamant about getting out of here. He wasn't acting like himself. I managed to corner him and get a blood sample, but he pushed me away and ran off."

Bruce came running down the stairs. "What has happened?"

"Jason took off. Alfred said he wasn't acting like himself, but he was able to get a blood sample before he got away."

He walked over to the batcomputer and looked at the screen, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"There's definitely something there," he said. "Alfred, send this to Flash right away."

"Of course, sir."

"I'm calling an emergency meeting at the cave. I get the feeling Jason's not the only one affected. Both of you get there now."

They nodded, hopped on their bikes and took off towards the zeta tubes. They appeared at the cave to the wandering eyes of Zatanna, M'gann and Connor.

"What's going on? Why has Batman called a meeting?"

"Robin's gone. He took off, and he wasn't acting right. A blood test showed that there's something in his system."

"We'll find him," Zatanna assured them.

Batman appeared through the zeta tube. "Conference room. Now."

They nodded, and followed him to the conference room. They sat around the table while Superman, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Flash, Red Tornado, Icon and Wonder Woman appeared. Aquaman showed up a few minutes later.

"Did you get what I sent you?" he asked Flash, who nodded and started typing on the keyboard.

"Been here all night. Looked at it the second I got it. I've been able to isolate the component in Robin's blood. Since Robin isn't a part of the team yet, he couldn't have received it on assignment."

"That means he received it some other way, possibly out with Nightwing, Batgirl and I on patrol."

"Robin's not the only one affected, either," Flash said, looking amongst the group of children. "A few others have been as well."

"Who?" Nightwing asked, popping his head up.

"Aqualad and Garth have both been compromised," Aquaman said, looking away. "Did the same thing Robin did. They were both acting weird for a while. Kaldur'ahm took off, Garth followed shortly after."

"Rocket as well," Icon piped in.

"Is Robin still in his suit?" Flash asked.

"Already looked for his tracker. He must have taken it off," Batman replied, looking up at the screen. "Flash, do you know when this could have happened?"

"I would assume it happened around the same time. We've just got to find a common denominator."

"If it wasn't received during a mission, then it happened to all of them on patrol."

"Both Aqualad and Garth were with me Friday night. They haven't been together since."

"Friday?" Nightwing said, looking up. "Friday was the night we took down Scarecrow."

"Rocket did a solo mission herself Friday night."

"Do you think the light did this?" Batgirl asked, looking between everyone.

"I'm betting they're involved," Batman said, looking up at the screen.

"What about Wally and Artemis? Has anyone heard from them?" Arrow asked.

"I called Artemis before the meeting. She's alright, but I haven't heard from Wally," Nightwing said.

The door opened, and Artemis walked through, concern written on her face.

"What's wrong?" Nightwing asked, standing up to see her.

"Something's happened to Wally. We were together then all of a sudden he started acting weird. His eyes glowed _red_. Then he just took off."

Batman and Arrow looked at Flash in concern, who held a scared expression on his face. "We worked together to stop Weather Wizard Friday night."

"We know who did it, but the question is how," Batman said, turning to his protégés. "What was Robin doing right before you were gassed, Nightwing? Batgirl?"

"We were looking for you," Batgirl said. "Nightwing split up and looked around while Robin and I stuck together. I don't know what happened, but the next minute Nightwing was running at him. Robin seemed perfectly fine."

"Nightwing, pull up security footage of the building."

He did as he was told, watching as the footage pulled up. He reset the time frame to Friday night. He then played through the footage, watching as Scarecrow crept up behind Robin.

"There!" Batgirl said, stopping him. He played the frame-by-frame and they all watched intently as Scarecrow's arm raised, and a mist came out of it. The next second the mist disappeared.

"An aerosol gas," Flash said, re-watching the footage. "It must get breathed in instead of injected."

"That doesn't explain how they're being controlled, or how Batgirl wasn't affected, either."

"She may not have been in range. Doesn't have to take a lot for it to work. I would recommend a blood test on her, just in case." They looked at her, and she nodded.

"I'll get her," Canary said, and they both walked out of the conference room.

"How are they being controlled, Flash?"

"Almost the same way we were," Manhunter said, walking up next to Flash. "While we were infected with the biotech, I believe this is similar. The tech is breathed in, controlling them from the inside."

"Is there any antidote?" M'gann asked, looking concerned.

"We're working on it," Flash said, "but we need to find them and get another blood sample."

"That's the problem," Connor said. "We have no idea where they are."

"I'm assigning your team to locate them," Batman said, looking between them. "Nightwing will lead the team. Flash and J'onn will continue to work on the antidote, and Arrow and I will figure out how this happened. There has to be a common enemy."

"I agree," Arrow said, nodding in agreement.

"We'll get on it, Batman," Nightwing said, standing up.

"Be careful, all of you. I'm giving you meta collars to put on them along with sedatives. Until we get a cure, they stay asleep. It's for their own good."

They nodded before walking out of the conference room. Batman held Nightwing back.

"You asked and I answered," he replied, handing him two sticks. Nightwing grinned.

"Thanks, Batman," he replied, flipping the sticks in his hands. He then turned and walked back out, meeting Batgirl in the foyer. "What'd they find out?"

"Mine's clean. How do we find them?"

Nightwing grinned. "I put an unknown tracker in the staff Robin carries when I used it, in case I was ever compromised. If Robin has his staff, we'll find them."

He pulled the screen up and began to look for the tracker, grinning when it dotted red on the screen.

"They're in Central City?" Batgirl asked, looking at the map.

"What's the plan, Nightwing?" Connor asked.

"Any ideas on how to stop them?" Artemis asked, turning to Nightwing.

"A few."

"I can help," Connor said.

"So can I," Zatanna said.

"I want you helping Batgirl with Robin," Nightwing ordered. "Robin may be small, and he hasn't been going for long, but he's strong. Help her. M'gann, take Rocket. Connor, Tula, take Aqualad and Garth."

"Got it," they said.

"I can take Robin," Batgirl stressed, giving him "the look". "Send Zatanna with M'gann."

He nodded. "Zatanna, you and M'gann will take Rocket. Connor and Tula will take Aqualad and Garth. Batgirl will take Robin, and Artemis and I will work on Kid Flash. Let's move."

They got into the bioship and flew off towards Central City. Batgirl looked over at Nightwing, thinking the same exact thing he was:

' _We have to get Jason back.'_

The panic that had risen in both of them since finding out he disappeared never seemed to cease, and even as she thought about it, her heart pounded in her chest. She tapped her fingers against her chair, worry growing inside of her as she did so. She looked over at Nightwing and Artemis, both of whom were doing the same thing.

"We need caution," Nightwing said to the team a few minutes later. "We don't exactly know what they're on or how's it affecting them. Batman has supplied us with sedatives and meta collars. Until we find the cure, they need to stay asleep. We can't risk them getting away again."

"Are you sure they're all together?" Tula asked.

"I sure hope so," he replied grimly, looking out the window.

They landed in Central City, and Nightwing pulled his gauntlet out, looking up the exact location. "Over here."

They ran over to the building and entered quietly, looking around at the dimly-lit warehouse. He held his hand up, and they all waited, looking around.

All of a sudden, they were all knocked to their feet.

* * *

"What are we doing here?" Arrow asked, as he and Batman walked through the halls of Arkham Asylum.

"I need to talk to Crane," he replied, stopping when a security officer held his hand up. He then instructed them to follow him, leading outside the interview room. They waited in silence until the guards brought Scarecrow in, wrapped in a straitjacket.

"All yours, Batman."

"Thank you," he replied, not taking his eyes off Crane. Scarecrow grinned at him.

"How's Nightwing, little bat?"

"What'd you do to Robin?"

"Robin, huh? I haven't done anything to Robin."

Batman smashed his hand on the table, looking down at him as he did so. "I'm not playing games, Crane. What did you do to him?"

"Little Robin leave the nest, did he?"

"Enough with the games!" Arrow said, walking up to the other side of him. "Robin and a few other sidekicks have gone missing."

"How very unfortunate."

"I'm not playing, Crane," Batman said, moving closer to him. "You were caught on surveillance injecting Robin with something. What was it?"

He grinned again. "A serum that was created. They breath it in, and do whatever they're ordered to do."

"That means someone is controlling them. Who?"

"I was only hired to release the serum. I could care less about who's controlling it."

Batman looked away, growling as he did so. "Who hired you?"

"It must bother you, your little sidekick leaving the nest too soon."

"We'll get Robin back."

"I'm not talking about Robin. I'm talking about Nightwing. He was the first Robin, right?"

"Who hired you?!" Batman ordered, his voice deep and dark.

"Can't quite remember the name. I just know I got paid well."

"We're done here," he said, and he and Arrow walked out.

"At least we know what happened to them," Arrow said, as they walked through the doors back out of the Asylum.

"I still want to know who's behind it," he replied, as they both stepped into the Batmobile.

* * *

"Everyone alright?" Nightwing asked, as they all stood back up.

"Something tells me that was Kid," Artemis said, walking up next to Nightwing. The lights turned on, and they looked ahead to see them standing there, ready to fight.

"You're intruding," Rocket said, glaring at them.

"We're here to help you!" Nightwing said, putting his hands up.

"We don't want help," Kid Flash said, and his eyes glowed red. "We're quite content here."

"Fan out," Nightwing ordered. Everyone ran up to their assigned person.

"Robin," Batgirl said, watching as he pulled his staff out and flipped it in his hand. "Rob, let us help you."

"Does it look like I want help?" he asked softly, cranking his head to the side.

"Yes," she replied, pulling her batarangs out.

He narrowed his eyes before he started running at her, attempting to smash his staff into her. She quickly moved out of the way, kicking his knees to drop him to the floor. He quickly got back up and grabbed for his staff, smashing it into her side. She let out a moan and grabbed for it, looking back up at Jason as she did so.

"You saved my life. You said you would never let me get hurt. You just hurt me, Rob. You have to fight this."

He gave her another look before jumping up and kicking her in the chest. She grabbed hold of his foot and threw him down. He growled and glared at her, running at her in full force. She held her own against him, but eventually he pinned her underneath him, glaring down at her.

"What's the matter, Batgirl?" Robin asked, pressing his foot into her chest. "Can't keep up?"

"Robin, don't do this," she breathed out. "Please."

"Shut up," he growled, and she quickly moved her arms to knock him to his knees. She pinned Robin underneath her.

"Don't do this," she whispered again, struggling to hold him down when he attempted to get free. He kicked her off of him, resulting in her head crashing against the wall. She suddenly felt woozy, and she fought consciousness as he came up on her again.

* * *

"Can't catch me," Wally echoed around them, pushing Nightwing to the ground as he did so. He stood back up and wiped the blood off of his mouth, thinking plans over in his head.

"Any ideas?" Artemis asked him, shooting another arrow off at him.

"I have a plan," Nightwing said to her, watching as Wally got into position. "Distract him with the arrows."

She prepped her bow and shot arrows off, watching as Nightwing reached into his belt. He pulled out the marbles and tossed them on the ground, watching Wally avoid each one of them. He came closer to Artemis, and Nightwing planned out his attack, waiting to pounce. He took his shot, ramming into Wally and knocking him to the floor. Artemis quickly gave him the sedative, and he injected it into him.

"Kid Flash is down!" Nightwing said through the comms.

"Nightwing, Batgirl's in trouble," Tula said through the coms.

They quickly rushed over to them, anger growing inside Dick as he saw Barbara struggle against Jason. She grabbed for her head, and he immediately knew she was hurt.

"Robin!" he called, watching as Robin's head snapped and turned towards him. "Don't do it!"

"I've got you," Artemis said, rushing over to Batgirl.

"You don't want to do this," Nightwing said, holding his escrima sticks in both of his hands.

"Don't tell me what to do!" he hissed, the ends of his staff lighting up.

"Come on," Artemis said, helping her up. She led her over to Kid Flash, and she fought the dizziness that was plaguing her. "You'll be alright. Just lay down."

"Come at me, brother," Robin said, raising his staff over his shoulder.

"Don't make me do this."

"I kind of what you to."

Robin started charging at him, and he avoided the punches, managing to get a few in on his own. He knew he was breaking Robin and it was only a matter of time before he would knock him down. He blocked the blows from the staff with his escrima sticks and managed to kick him in the gut, watching as he hunched over. Pushing him down on his back, he quickly took out the sedative and injected him, watching as he struggled to get up before collapsing back onto the floor. Nightwing let out a tired breath as he looked around.

"M'gann, how's it going?"

"Rocket's down."

"Tula, Connor?"

"Garth's down, but we're struggling with Aqualad."

"I'll assist," M'gann said.

He stood up and stretched before walking over to Artemis, bending down next to her.

"How is she?"

"She's not responding well," she replied, moving fingers in front of Batgirl's eyes. "She probably has a concussion."

"BG," he whispered, snapping his fingers in front of her. She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath. "We need to get her to the med bay."

"Everyone's down, Nightwing," Connor said through the comms unit.

"Get them to the bioship," he ordered, watching as Artemis helped Batgirl up. He watched as Superboy walked over and picked Kid Flash up. M'gann levitated Rocket, and Tula and Zatanna helped get Garth and Aqualad back to the ship, which M'gann summoned to be closer. He then walked over and picked Robin up, letting out a deep breath as he saw a deep blue bruise forming on his face.

"I wouldn't if I were you," a voice said, and he quickly turned around, narrowing his eyes as he did so.

"Kobra," he hissed, carefully putting Robin down beside him.

"What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue?"

"What have you done to them?"

"Nothing much. Just a little serum to brighten up their days."

Several men began to walk up behind Kobra. Nightwing looked around, narrowing his eyes behind his mask.

"Nightwing!" M'gann called out, as everyone but Artemis and Batgirl rushed up to them.

"Poor, defenseless little heroes. What will you do when half of your team is split?"

"Nightwing?" Connor whispered, looking around.

"What are you hiding, Kobra? You clearly used them for something."

"Nothing you need to know of," he replied, raising his hand up. He snapped his fingers, sending his men charging after them.

"Watch out!" Connor said, throwing a punch to one of the men.

" _Artemis, we're being attacked. Stay at the bioship."_

" _ **Will do,"**_ she said back.

"Nightwing!" Superboy said, running up to spare him from a punch.

"This isn't good."

"It's us. It never is. Get traught, kid."

Nightwing grinned. "Ah, man, I love hearing that."

"I'm sure you do. Do you have a plan?"

"I always have a plan," he replied, narrowing his eyes behind his mask.

He grabbed a handful of his batarangs, and threw them into the crowd of men. Superboy took the moment of distraction to run into the group and knock them down. Nightwing withdrew his escrima sticks and started fighting off one of the men.

"Alright, Zatanna?" M'gann asked, moving up next to her.

"Never better," she replied, throwing a smile her way. She threw a spell off and tied the men together. "What are we going to do?"

"Stay together!" Nightwing ordered, moving in closer to them while fighting off his man.

"You little teenagers think you can fight us?" one of the men laughed.

"So far we're kicking your asses pretty well."

"But we also took your little friends."

"Something you'll pay deeply for."

All of a sudden, Superman, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Hal Jordan and John Stewart showed up. Nightwing grinned.

"I warned you."

"Get out of here!" Superman ordered, and they nodded.

"Let's move!" Nightwing said, and he picked Robin up before they all returned to the bioship

M'gann started taking off, flying away as fast as she could. When they were out of sight, he pulled up the computer and summoned Batman.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It was the Kobra gang. Kobra admitted to being behind it."

"Scarecrow admitted to releasing the serum. He said it was a controlling agent."

"Guess we figured out who was controlling them. I couldn't get them to say why. We have reasons to believe they may have been guarding something."

"It would make sense, I suppose. How are they?"

"They're all injected. We're on our way back to the cave."

"Use caution. Just because they're sedated doesn't mean anything. Get them back to the cave as fast as possible."

"Will do. Nightwing out."

He let out a deep breath and turned back to his team. "Good work."

"Great leadership," Connor replied with a grin.

"Yeah," he replied dully, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over at Batgirl, who was still looking woozy. "I'll get you to the med bay when we get there. Is anyone else hurt?"

"Zatanna's bleeding, but I've taken care of her," Artemis said, wrapping the gauze around Zatanna's arm.

"We're alright," Connor said, and Tula and M'gann nodded in agreement.

"Will they be ok, Nightwing?" M'gann asked, looking over her fallen friends in concern. He shook his head.

"Flash, A.T.O.M., and Manhunter are working on a cure. In the meantime, we'll take all of them to the med bay and strap them to the beds. We can't risk them getting loose again."

"Wally can just vibrate out of them."

"Not with the meta collars on," he replied, pulling a box out. He strapped one to everyone but Robin and Rocket, removing her belt as he did so. "These stay on them until they're cured."

The bioship landed in the cave, and Batman, Arrow, Flash, and J'onn were waiting for them. They walked on board and helped the young heroes take them to the med bay.

"What happened to you?" Batman asked Batgirl, carefully picking Robin up. He must have noticed her disorientation.

"She might have a concussion. I'm taking her to the med bay now," Nightwing replied, picking Batgirl up. He followed Batman to the medbay.

Batman put Robin onto the bed and strapped his arms down. Leading Batgirl to another one, he gave her a soft smile as he gently punched her other arm.

"What's the matter?" Canary asked softly, walking up to them.

"I think she has a concussion. She's not really here."

"I just got ahold of Dr. Thompkins. She wants to look at her. Take Batgirl to her clinic." He nodded. Batman turned to Batgirl. "Robin will be just fine. Go home and get some rest. Nightwing will leave your bike there."

They nodded, and walked to the zeta tube. Reappearing in Gotham, he pulled one of the bikes out and hopped on, helping her put her helmet on. She wrapped her arms around his middle, and he drove to Dr. Thompkin's clinic, parking in the alleyway behind it. He then snuck her in through the back.

* * *

"How's the cure coming along?"

"Almost there, Batman," Flash said, looking up. "How's Robin and Batgirl?"

"Robin's unconscious and Batgirl's getting evaluated for a concussion. Wally's also unconscious."

"They're all strong," Flash said, turning to look at him.

"Crane admitted to releasing it, at least to Robin, but why would Kobra hire him?"

"Maybe the light assigned him to them? It would make sense, I suppose. Why would they want them, though?"

"Nightwing believes that they were guarding something. If someone believes teen heroes are watching it-"

"They'll never think twice. Clever."

"He couldn't figure out what it was, though."

"That's never a good thing," Superman said, walking up to them. "I've been talking to Superboy and they don't know, either."

"We got the kids back and that's all that matters. We'll figure the rest out later."

"I agree," Batman said.

"We'll finish up here. You should go check on Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl."

"And you should be with Wally."

"I will be, but I'm needed here first. We're working with S.T.A.R. Labs to get this done as fast as possible."

"They're sedated, so they should be out for a while. Wally, Kaldur and Garth all have meta collars on."

"It's the best option for now."

* * *

"Hang on, Babs," Dick said back to her, as he quickly drove back to her apartment. He parked in the alleyway behind it before he helped her up the fire escape and stopped outside of her window. He opened it and helped her through.

"Home sweet home," he replied, leading her to her bedroom. He put the bag-which is where her suit was resting after Dr. Thompkins changed her out of it and into civilian clothes Dick had taken from her apartment while she was being examined-into her closet and closed it behind him before helping her into her bed. He covered her up, watching as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Sleep, Babs," he whispered, soothingly rubbing her arm. Her eyes finally closed, and he waited until her breathing turned soft before he turned and walked out of her bedroom. He made sure her door was locked and all the lights were off before hopping out the window and closing it behind him.

Finally reaching the zeta tube, he felt the familiar tug before reappearing in the cave. He walked to the med bay, spotting Jason still unconscious on the bed. Bruce sat in the chair next to him, looking at information on his gauntlet. As soon as he spotted Dick he put it away.

"He's strong," he said, looking down at his brother. "I had a hard time with him."

"Street smarts. He had to fight to survive," Batman replied, looking down at him. "He knows how to fight."

"I'm just glad we found them," he replied quietly, looking at the others.

"How did you find them?"

He picked up Robin's staff, unscrewing one of the ends. The tracker fell out. "I put it in here just in case something happened."

Batman took the tracker, and Dick could swear there was a small smile on his face. "You always have been one step ahead."

"Learned from the best," he replied, and he gave him the tracker back. Nightwing put it back into the staff and put it back together.

"Is she alright?" Batman asked, looking over at him. He nodded.

"I took her home to get rest. Hopefully she'll be alright in the morning." He looked down at Jason, who was fast asleep on the bed. "How much longer on the cure?"

"They're almost there."

"He's going to be extremely angry when he finds out he's the one that did that to her," Dick reflected sadly.

"He couldn't help it," Bruce replied, pressing his lips together.

"He's not going to care. He really likes Barbara. He _saved_ her life in the alley. Now he's caused her to have a concussion."

"He'll be alright," he replied. "Once he sees her, and she tells him that she's fine, it'll be water under the bridge."

"We think we got it," Flash said, running in. "We isolated the tech and were able to develop a cure."

"Good," Batman said. Flash injected Robin with the cure, watching as he thrashed around before settling once again.

"I'm so sorry, Rob," Nightwing said. Bruce let out a deep breath.

"You've done good tonight."

"Yeah," he replied dully, turning to look away.

"You should go home and get some rest. I'll stay with Robin tonight."

"No. I'm not leaving."

He nodded, knowing better than to argue with Dick. Nightwing stood up and walked over to Wally, looking down at his best friend.

"You know what'd he say if he were awake right now?" Artemis said, grinning at him. He smiled.

"You look like crap, Nightwing."

"Exactly," she laughed.

"He'll be alright, Art. Just needs to shake it off."

"I know. Thanks, Nightwing."

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure," she replied, watching as he sat down next to her.

"Can you go to Batgirl's apartment tomorrow and check up on her?"

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "Is she alright?"

"She'll be ok. She needs a lot of rest."

"And you?" she asked, looking at him in concern. He turned to look at her.

"What about me?"

"You look exhausted."

He shrugged, turning to look back at Wally. "It's been a long weekend."

"You're telling me," she replied, pushing her hair out of her face.

He gently rubbed her back, letting out a tired sigh. She grabbed for Wally's hand and rubbed her thumb across it.

"Do you ever get the feeling that something really bad is going to happen?"

"We live in Gotham. That's every day in our world."

She laughed. "That's true."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," she replied, nodding her head.

"Have you and Wally thought about college?"

"We've been thinking about it. We want to go together."

"For what?"

"We haven't decided yet. He wants to do something in science, and I'm still not sure. We actually have our S.A.T.s next month. We've been studying for them."

"You'll do great," he replied, flashing her a grin.

"Thanks, Nightwing."

"How is he?" Flash asked, sitting down across from them.

"Still out," she replied, rubbing his hand again.

"We're going to wait a while longer then take another sample of their blood. If it's clean, we'll take them home."

"Do you think it worked?"

"I'm positive it did. We just need them to wake soon."

Nightwing squeezed her shoulder before he stood up and walked back over to Robin, watching the slow rise of his brother's chest.

* * *

"All of their bloods are clean," Manhunter said, walking into the medbay. Dick let out a breath of relief. "They should be awaking soon."

"Let's get back to Gotham," Batman said, releasing the restraints on Robin. He gently picked him up, and Nightwing picked his staff up before following Batman to the zeta tubes back to Gotham. They walked over to the Batmobile, and he put Jason into the passenger seat.

"I'll meet you back at the cave," Nightwing said, and Batman nodded, hopping into the car. Nightwing started up his bike, and they both drove back off to the cave.

"Master Jason! Thank goodness," Alfred breathed out when Bruce lifted him out of the car.

"He'll be alright, Alfie," Dick said, patting his arm as he took his mask off.

Bruce put Jason onto the bed before removing his cowl. Alfred sat down in the chair, letting out another deep breath.

"I was so afraid…" he started before trailing off.

"It's been a long night. Everyone just needs to go to bed," Bruce said, removing his own suit and switching into the clothes he had left down there. Dick rubbed his head, feeling much better now that his suit was off.

"How's Miss. Gordon?"

"She's alright. She's asleep at her home."

"She's off-duty until Leslie clears her to return."

Dick nodded, dropping his head as silence filled the room. Bruce and Alfred carefully removed Jason's suit before putting him into his own pajamas.

"Let's all get some sleep," Bruce said, picking Jason up again. They all walked upstairs, and Alfred went to shut the house down while Bruce and Dick walked into Jason's room.

"You should go to bed," Bruce told Dick, gently placing Jason into his bed.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Dick-"

"I mean it, Bruce. I'm staying here."

"Alright," he said, clapping his shoulder. He stood up and walked out of the room. Dick stood up and walked over to get his pillow from his bed before returning to Jay's room, pulling the chair up to his bedside as he did so.

He grabbed hold of Jason's hand and closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath as he did so. "Come back to us, Little Wing."

He then stood back up and shut the lights to the room off. Returning to his chair, he laid his head on the pillow and fell asleep, feeling nothing but relief at the fact that Jason was back home.

* * *

The sun shining on his face woke Dick up the next morning. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking down at Jason as he did so. He then stood up and stretched, deciding to get ready for the day before he woke. After showering, he returned to his brother's bedside, placing his head in his hands as the last few days sparked through his mind.

' _I get gassed, then I kiss Barbara, then Jay goes missing.'_

The fear that coursed through him when he discovered that Jason had been taken didn't leave him until they brought him home. After the gas replayed Jason's death several times in his mind, the last thing he ever wanted to see was that vision brought to life of his brother lying dead in his arms.

' _I'm sorry, Jay. He never should have gotten to you.'_

"Master Richard?" Alfred said, walking into the room. Dick lifted his head up, smiling softly.

"Morning, Alfred."

"Master Bruce sent me up here. He was worried you would miss breakfast."

"Thanks," he replied, taking the tray from him.

"Is everything alright, sir?"

"Just thinking, Alfie."

"Anything I can help you with?"

"Just fighting my own demons," he replied, looking down at Jason.

"Have you contacted Miss. Gordon this morning?"

"I had Artemis go check up on her. She says she's doing better."

"Glad to hear that. Barbara is definitely one of the strongest young ladies I have ever met. She'll be just fine. Master Jason should be awaking soon. We're just waiting on the sedative to wear off."

"I'm just glad it's over."

"Me too, young sir. Wally is even up and running around completely fine, although he has no recollection of what has happened."

"I figured as much."

"Try not to worry so much, Master Richard. He'll be just fine."

"I know. Thank you, Alfred," he said with a nod, taking a bite of his toast. Alfred turned and walked out of the room. He finished his breakfast and pushed the tray to the side, letting his thoughts consume him again as he stared out the window.

"How is he?" Bruce asked, as he walked into the room.

"Still asleep," Dick said with a shrug.

"Bruce?" Jason called out, cracking his eyes open. "Dick?"

"You're home, Jason," Bruce said, looking away from the window. Dick smiled sadly at him. "How do you feel?"

"Horrible. What happened?"

"What all do you remember?"

He shook his head. "I don't remember anything since I woke up yesterday."

"Scarecrow injected you with a mind-controlling substance. Alfred noticed that you were acting weird yesterday evening, and when he tried to talk you took off. He managed to get a sample of your blood, and we discovered the serum in it. We also found out that you weren't the only one affected."

"Who else?"

"Wally, Kaldur, Garth, and Rocket."

"What happened to us?"

"We're not for certain, but we believe that whatever they put into your system manipulated your mind."

"Did we do anything?"

"No," Dick replied. "We believe that all of you were used as watchers. The light wanted to test this serum to see if it would work and it did. We have no idea what you could have been protecting, but it's gone now."

"Where's Scarecrow now?"

"He's in Arkham," Bruce replied.

"Scarecrow was probably trying to get Barbara as well, but I stopped him. Unfortunately, not before he got to you."

"Where is Barbara?" he asked. Dick looked at Bruce, and Jason's stomach sank. "What's wrong?"

"Jason, while you were under that stuff, the team and I went to rescue all of you. I assigned Barbara to sedate you."

"Did I hurt her?" he asked, and Dick closed his eyes as he saw the fury behind Jason's. "DID I?!"

"She has a concussion. She's at home resting."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I didn't want to hurt her!"

"Jay," Dick said, grabbing hold of his shoulders, "you didn't do anything. She does not blame you. Whatever you were under did some bad things."

"I HURT BARBARA!" he screamed out.

"Jason," Bruce said, sitting on the bed next to him, "nobody blames you for what happened. You're safe now, and Barbara is fine."

"I need to see her," he said, throwing the blankets off. Bruce pushed him back down.

"You need rest."

"I won't rest until I see her," he said.

Dick and Bruce looked at each other, both thinking the same thing in their minds.

"I can take him on my bike," Dick said, and Bruce sighed.

"Be careful getting there."

"I will."

"Thanks, Dick," Jason said, getting out of his bed. Dick and Bruce walked out of his room.

He waited until Jason was ready and ate before they took off on his bike towards Barbara's apartment. When they arrived, he parked his bike and helped Jason off.

"How bad is she?" Jason asked, looking guilty.

"Jay, do not blame yourself."

"I hurt her."

"You didn't hurt her. The light did. Barbara is alright. Come on, I'll show you."

He led him inside the building-using the spare key Barbara gave to him to access it-and walked up to her apartment. He knocked on her door, and opened it when he got no answer. Peeking his head inside, he opened it for both he and Jason before walking to Barbara's room, spotting her on her bed.

"Babs?"

"Dick! Jason!" she said, smiling at them as she popped open her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting down next to her bed, trying to force the image of last night out of his mind.

"My head really hurts, but I'm alright."

"Do you remember what happened last night?"

"Kind of," she replied, squinting her eyes. "I remember Jay was taken, and we went to go rescue him, right? I don't remember much after that."

"I'm so sorry, Barbie," he said immediately, guilt etched into his face.

"Sorry? For what?" she asked in confusion. Dick gave him a look.

"For nothing, because he didn't mean to do what he did."

"What'd he do?"

"You were fighting me, and I'm the one who gave you the concussion. I'm so sorry."

She blinked at him for a moment. "Jason, you did nothing wrong."

"I hurt you."

"The light hurt the both of us. They used you, Wally, Kaldur, Garth and Rocket. We got all of you back, and that's all that matters."

"I'm sorry," he said again. She wrapped her arms around him and brought him in for a hug.

"I'm alright, and so is the rest of the team. I'm just so glad you're back," she said into his hair. He smiled up at her.

"Me, too," he replied.

"Sorry I had to kick your butt," Dick replied, grinning at him. Jason glared at him.

"You wouldn't have been able to if I wasn't drugged."

"Uh huh," he replied, his grin growing wider.

"Boys," she replied, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Can I get you anything?" Dick asked.

"I'm alright, thanks. I haven't really gotten out of bed today. I keep falling asleep."

"That's good. It means you'll recover quickly," he replied with a smile, softly rubbing her arm.

"I want to read my book, though," she replied with a small pout, gesturing to her book on the nightstand. He rolled his eyes.

"You need rest, Babs."

She sat up in her bed, and he turned his head away when he saw her cleavage peeking out of her tank-top. She let out a deep breath.

"Did you father find out?" Jason asked.

"I don't think so. He checked on me this morning wondering why I was still in bed. Told him I wasn't feeling well."

"You're already doing much better than I thought you would be. You were pretty out of it last night."

"I was?" she asked in confusion, shaking her head. "I can't remember anything."

"I'm just glad you're alright," Jason said, softly rubbing Barbara's hand. She smiled at him.

"Same to you, Jay. You had Dick and I in a panic."

"I didn't know you cared so much," he replied with a grin. Dick shook his head while Barbara smiled.

"You're my brother, Jay. I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"Technically, you let me get drugged."

"Shut up," he replied, pushing Jason. Barbara laughed.

"You boys crack me up. Now, I need to get out of this bed."

"You need rest."

"Blah, blah, blah," she replied, waving him off. They helped her out of her bed and to the living room, sitting her on the couch.

"It's pretty late. You have to be hungry."

"I'm a little hungry," she replied, looking up at him.

"There's a McDonalds right around the corner. I can run and get us some lunch."

"Thank you," she replied, and Dick nodded at her before he turned to walk out of her apartment. Jason smiled at her.

"You really should be resting. A concussion isn't something to mess around with."

"The best thing for a concussion is rest. I slept over twelve hours, Jay. I'm alright."

"Wait here," he said, and he stood up and walked to her bedroom, grabbing for the book on her nightstand. He then walked back into the living room and opened to where she left off. "Since you can't read right now, I'll read it to you."

"You are so sweet," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes as he started to read back to her.

"Back," Dick said, walking through the door with two bags and three drinks.

"I think she's asleep," Jason said, looking over at his shoulder. Dick put the food down and looked at her.

"Babs," he whispered, shaking her awake. She opened her eyes. "I got you some lunch."

"Thank you," she said, rubbing her eyes as he pulled some plates out. He put her sandwich and fries onto it and gave it to her, watching as she took small bites.

"Thanks, Dick," Jason said, eating his own fries.

"I got us some teas."

"Smells good," Barbara said, taking another bite of her sandwich. Dick gently rubbed her arm.

"Feeling any better?"

"A little. I was hungrier than I thought I was."

"You haven't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon."

"That might explain it," she replied, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Is this your mom?" Jason asked, looking over at a picture. Dick hesitated.

"Yeah, that's her," she replied, looking over as well.

"You look just like her."

"I've noticed. My father's eyes and my mother's looks."

"My mom used to say that I looked like my father," Jason replied, putting the picture back into its spot.

"You don't think so?"

"Hard to tell since I've never really seen the man."

"I'm sorry," Barbara replied, placing her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged.

"Don't need him anyway."

"Alright, Babs?" Dick asked, looking at her in concern.

"Getting tired again," she replied, finishing off her lunch.

"We won't stay long. Jay just wanted to see you."

"I'm alright," she reassured Jason, smiling softly at him. "You boys can stay as long as you like."

"We'll let you rest, Barbie," Jason replied, finishing off his own lunch. He collected all of the trash and threw it away before Dick stood up.

"Let's help you back to bed."

"Thank you," she said, grabbing for his hand. He helped her up and they took her back to her room.

"Get some sleep, Barbie," Jason said, flashing her a grin.

"I will, Jason. You need to get some rest, too."

"We'll see you, soon, Babs," Dick said, giving her hand a light squeeze. She nodded, and they walked out of her apartment, Dick making sure to lock it behind him.

"I can't believe I did that to her."

"You did nothing. Don't make me have to slap across your head."

"You can try," Jason replied, looking up at him. Dick grinned.

"Don't challenge me. Now c'mon, we need to get you back home."

He nodded, and they hopped on his bike and took off back to the manor.

* * *

"No Batgirl tonight?" Robin asked Nightwing, watching as he put his bike into park.

"No. She still needs to recover. So do you, for that matter."

"I'm _fine,_ Wingnut."

Dick shook his head, causing Jason to grin at him. "Police scanner is surprisingly silent tonight."

"That's never a good thing," Batman replied, rubbing his chin.

"Nightwing?" Barbara's voice echoed through the comms unit.

"Hey, Batgirl, do you know what the word rest means?"

"I'm not listening. Anyway, I came with dad to the department tonight. Dad's going to contact Batman soon, but word has it that a thief has been stealing from the Gotham Art Museum."

"Well, gee, I wonder who that could be," Nightwing said, looking over at Batman. He gave him a look.

"We'll investigate," he said, starting up the car. They drove off to the art museum, walking past the policemen who were doing their investigations.

"Batman," one of the officers said, nodding his head.

"What do you have?"

"All the evidence points to Catwoman. Surveillance was knocked out about three minutes before the alarms were sounded. The robbery was done cleanly."

Batman sighed heavily. "What all was taken?"

"What was currently on display: The Peruvian Ruby. A few of the smaller artifacts were taken as well."

Batman took a look around, conducting an investigation of his own. Nightwing and Robin waited patiently by the door.

"Slow night?" Robin asked, bouncing his foot.

"You'll have those occasionally, believe it or not."

"We're on it," Batman said, turning to walk away.

"Can I say that I was right?" Nightwing said, as they walked down the steps of the museum. Batman didn't respond.

"I take that as a yes," Robin whispered, grinning at him.

"I was hoping it wasn't her," he replied, getting into his car. "Selena's been quiet lately. I suppose I should have expected this."

"Do you have any idea where she is?"

"None," he replied, tapping his fingers against the wheel.

"Who's Selena?" Robin asked, looking at them in confusion.

"Selena Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, is the woman Batman was dancing with at the Christmas Eve party."

"Really?" Jason asked, grinning at him.

"Selena's an…..acquaintance."

"If that's what you want to call it," Nightwing said.

"Enough. Officer Daly said there was a tracer put on the ruby. If Catwoman hasn't found it, we should be able to find her."

"I've got a location of the tracer, sir," Alfred's voice rang through the comms.

"Where?"

"Second and Clearwater."

"Send me the coordinates," he said, starting up the car.

They drove off again, appearing at a run-down building. They got out of the vehicles and looked up at.

"Plan, boss?"

Batman pulled out his grapple and they followed suit, crashing through the window. They looked around, spotting no sign of Catwoman or anyone else in the building.

"Batman," Robin said, walking up to a stool, "you might want to take a look at this."

"What is it?" he asked, walking over to him. He spotted the tracer and a note, which he picked up.

"She's gone," he said, letting out a sigh.

"What's the note say?" Nightwing asked, grinning.

"Nothing."

"I doubt that."

"Move on," he said, walking out of the building. Nightwing and Robin grinned at each other.

"It says, and I quote, _next time, handsome._ "

"Good work, Rob," Nightwing said with a laugh.

"Are you two coming?" Batman said through the comms.

"Now he's mad."

"Is that anything new?" Robin asked, and Nightwing laughed again.

"C'mon, there's more work to be done."

"There's a drug deal not far from here. Follow me," Batman ordered, when they met him by the car.

Nightwing climbed on his bike and followed the car to a few streets down the road. They parked them behind a building and grappled up to the top, looking over the edge.

"Ready to have some fun, Rob?" Nightwing whispered, grinning at him. Robin grinned back.

"Always, wingnut."

"Let's move," Batman ordered, and they jumped down, breaking up the bust.

"It's Batman!"

"Run!"

"Robin, behind you!" Nightwing said, and Robin quickly turned around and jumped out of the way.

"Nice try, moron," he replied, kicking the man in the gut. Nightwing took his own man down, jumping out of the way to avoid a blow from another.

"Nice work, Rob," Nightwing said, ruffling his hair as he looked around. All of the men on the ground were groaning.

"Thanks, Nightwing."

"Nightwing, take Robin home," Batman said, looking up.

"Batman-"

"Do as your told."

"Yes, sir," he said, and they quickly hopped on his bike and drove off.

"What was that about?"

"I never know with him," Nightwing replied, pondering the same thing in his mind.

* * *

"Barbara!" Jason said, running up to give her a hug when she walked through the manor doors. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hi, kiddo."

"I'm so glad you're better," he said, pulling away from her.

"Much better, and ready to kick some major butt."

He laughed, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. He snuggled closer to her.

"Hey, Babs," Dick said, walking up to them.

"Hello, Dick."

"How do you feel?"

"Completely fine. I'm ready to return to work."

"That's good, because we've missed you here," he replied, punching her arm.

"It's not the same without Batgirl by our sides."

"I'm back now," she replied, ruffling Jason's hair. "What have I missed?"

"Not much. Just working on that Black Mask case. Even the cave's been quiet."

"That must be driving you insane," she replied, smirking at him.

"You know I hate not keeping myself busy."

"Jay, I have something for you," Barbara said, pulling something out of her bag. He looked at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"This," she replied, pulling a red sweatshirt out. His eyes opened in surprise.

"How did you get this? I thought the care center threw it away."

"They did," she replied. "I went out and found an exact replica."

"Thank you." he replied, looking over it.

"I think it's sentimental to the both of us."

He looked up at her. "You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

"Thanks, Barbie," he said, giving her a hug.

"You're welcome."

"Come on. Let's go down to the cave," Dick said, and they walked through the passageway down to the cave.

"Hello, Bruce," Barbara said, and he turned to look at her.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm better. I'm ready to be back at work."

He moved his fingers in front of her eyes, watching closely as she responded. He then threw a batarang at her, watching as she jumped up out of the way.

"Alright, if you're sure. A concussion isn't something to mess with."

"Dr. Thompkins cleared me."

"Very well," he replied. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back."

"Are you staying for dinner, Barbara?"

"Of course," she replied, throwing Jason a smile.

"Jay, why don't you get washed up?" Dick said, and he nodded before disappearing from the cave. Dick then gestured his head to the entranced and Barbara nodded, following behind him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, once they hit the study.

"I, er, I wanted to talk to you about the other night."

"When you kissed me?"

"Yeah," he said, blushing as he rubbed the back of his neck. She hid back a laugh. "I was really scared. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said, throwing him a soft smile. "I understand."

"Really?" he asked, popping his head up.

"Yeah. We just got lost in the moment, Dick."

He threw her a smile. "You're the best, you know that?"

"I try," she replied with a grin, "but I can still knock the daylights out of you."

"I know," he replied with a grimace. "My eye still hurts."

She laughed, hunching over and clutching her stomach. He glared at her.

"It's not funny."

"It's totally funny, brother," Jason said, grinning as he appeared in the study.

"I'm tired of the two of you ganging up on me," he replied, looking between them with a grin plastered on his face. "Might be time to teach Jason a little lesson."

"You can try," he replied, throwing him a look.

"Maybe you two are perfect for each other," Dick said, rubbing his chin. "You're both short."

"Don't let him fool you," Barbara said, looking over at him. "He used to be shorter than you."

"No I wasn't."

"Keep telling yourself that. I'll be laughing if Jay winds up taller than you."

"Don't be like that, Babs."

"How short were you, Grayson?" Jason asked, a grin forming on his face.

"He was this tall when we met," Barbara replied, using her hand to show him. Dick glared at them as they both laughed in response.

"I can't believe you turned my little brother against me."

"She didn't do anything," Jason replied, smiling up at Barbara.

"Master Richard, we have some visitors," Alfred said, walking into the room. Dick furrowed his eyes in confusion before he felt a woosh.

"Wally, Artemis," he said, grinning at them. "How are you two?"

"This place is huge," Artemis said, looking around. Her eyes then fell to Jason. "Well, hello there, Jason."

"Hi, Artemis," he said, smiling up at her. "Wally."

"Hey there, kid," Wally said, grinning at him. "Dick and Barbara giving you a hard time?"

Dick snorted. "More like these two are ganging up on me. Barbara's turned him into her personal mini-me."

"Have not!" they cried back at him.

"How are you? Feels like it's been a while since I've seen you," Artemis said, giving Barbara a hug.

"I'm better. I finally got cleared to come back, although I think Dr. Thompkins kept me out of the game longer than I needed to be."

"She likes to do that. Bruce always catches her."

She laughed. "Are you two coming for dinner?"

"If we're invited," Wally replied, looking over at Dick, who let out a fake sigh.

"I suppose I can invite you two."

"Say it nicely," he replied, grinning at him.

"Wally, Artemis, would you like to stay for dinner?" he asked again, forcing a smile onto his face.

"We'd love to," Wally replied. Dick rolled his eyes.

"Wally. Artemis," Bruce said, wiping his hands with his towel as he walked into the room. He looked surprised. "Welcome."

"Hello, Mr. Wayne," Wally said, looking over at Dick.

"Would you kids like to stay for dinner?"

"We'd love to."

"Excellent. I'll have Alfred fix you some plates."

"Thank you, sir," they replied, watching as he nodded and walked off.

"Let's go to the living room while we wait," Dick said, leading the way. They all sat down. "What brings you two by?"

"I was visiting Artemis, and I thought we would come see our favorite bat and birds."

"It's nice to see you all, too. I've missed being out in the field."

"Glad to see you're feeling better. That was a hard hit you took."

Jason looked down, and Dick rolled his eyes before smacking him in the head. He cried out, reaching up to rub it.

"What'd you do that for?!"

"If you feel guilty one more time, I'm socking you in the jaw."

"Best of luck, Grayson."

"Do they do this often?" Artemis whispered to Barbara, who nodded.

"More often than I'm willing to admit."

"I hate you, Dick," Jason said, blushing as he glared at him. Dick grinned.

"Didn't I tell you to be nice to him?" Barbara said, standing up to smack the back of his own head.

"Ha!" Jason said, grinning at him.

"See what I mean? They gang up on me," Dick said, rubbing his head. Wally grinned.

"Nice shot, Barbara."

"Thank you, Wally."

"So, trying to avoid a possible Batfamily fight here, any plans for the Valentine's Day dance? Wally is taking me to the one at Gotham Academy, and we hope to see you all there."

"I don't know. Babs?"

"Babs?" Artemis said, grinning while furrowing her brow.

"You've never heard me call her Babs before? It's my nickname for her."

"That's adorable."

"I swear he calls me that because he believes I always babble on."

He grinned. "You _do_ babble on."

"Whatever," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well, we'll be happy to see you three there, if you do decide to go."

"Jason," Bruce said, walking into the living room. He popped his head up, "meet with me down in the cave."

"Yes, sir," he said, standing up. He followed him out of the room, and Barbara stood up.

"I'm going to see if Alfred needs any help."

"I'll come with you," Artemis said, following behind her. The moment they walked out of the room, Wally turned to Dick.

"Sooo, Dick, you don't have a date to the dance, do you?"

"What's it to you?"

"Ask Barbara."

"You're not trying to hook me up, are you?"

"Seriously. Ask her to the dance. You would have a fun night."

He rolled his eyes. "You know she's my best friend, right?"

"So what's the harm in going as friends, then? Ask her to the dance."

* * *

"Lunch looks so disgusting today," Barbara said, playing with the food on her tray.

"He doesn't seem to mind," Dick said, gesturing to Jason, who was quickly devouring his own lunch.

"Ew," she replied, pushing her own tray away. "Hungry, Jay?"

"I'll take it," he replied, grabbing for it.

"Howdy," Artemis said, sitting next to them. "Someone must be hungry today."

"He's going through a growth spurt," Dick said, looking over at his brother.

"Are you lot going to MJ today?"

"We might stop by," Barbara said, looking over at Dick, who nodded in agreement.

"I can't. Bruce wants me home straight after school," Jason said, moving on to the next tray.

"Well, Babs and I can stop by then."

"I can't get over that," she replied, shaking her head.

"This one calls me Babs," Barbara said, pointing to Dick, "and this one calls me Barbie. I can't figure out how they came up with these names, but they did."

"Awe, sweet. They care for their Barbara."

"Shut up, Art," Dick replied, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, how do you put up with these two boys?"

"I don't," she replied with a wink.

"Yeah, we have to put up with her."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're asking for trouble."

"I doubt that."

"This will go on for a while," Jason said, finishing his lunch. Artemis laughed behind her hand.

"Dick, don't forget that we have our test over Romeo and Juliet tomorrow."

He groaned. "Great."

After another fifteen minutes, the bell rang, and they all stood up. They put their trays up and walked out of the cafeteria, saying goodbye to Jason as he took off in the opposite direction.

"See you both later, then?"

"Catch you later, Art," Dick said, and Barbara also bid her goodbye before she turned to walk away. He turned to Barbara.

"Can I walk you to Earth Science?"

"You look nervous," she said with a laugh, looking over at him.

"I do?"

"Yeah. Something wrong?"

"Are you going to the dance next weekend?"

She stopped walking, turning in shock to face him. She then laughed, shaking her head as she did so.

"I don't know."

"Don't have a date, do you?"

"Like you do," she replied sharply, narrowing her eyes at him. He grinned.

"Don't be like that, Babs. Anyway, I was wanting to-if you wanted-"

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Are you trying to ask me something?"

"Yeah," he replied, blushing as he looked down. She hid a smile. "Look, I'm really nervous about this because we…" he lowered his voice, "kissed, but I really want to ask you. You don't have to agree if you think it's too weird, but…"

She laughed, loving how flustered he was getting with her. "Ask me."

"Will you go to the dance with me?"

"I'd love to."

"Great!" he said, grinning at her.

"Although, I think Jay will be disappointed. He didn't get to ask me."

Dick laughed. "I think you owe him a dance, at the very least. You seem to be the only person he'll dance with."

"Maybe because you keep pushing him."

"Or maybe because he has a giant crush on you."

She smiled. "I find it adorable."

"Of course you do."

"You sound jealous."

"We're here," he said, gesturing to the classroom.

"You should probably be getting to class," she said, watching as the clock continued to count down from two minutes.

"Yeah," he replied. "Catch you later."

She nodded before turning into the classroom. He grinned to himself, unable to shake it as he walked to his Algebra class.

They were both eager for the dance next weekend.


	9. Fears

"When did you get these things?" Jason asked, looking over Dick's escrima sticks.

"The same night I had to save your ass."

Jason glared at him. "I didn't need saving."

"Sure you didn't. Anyway, they're made from the same material as your staff. Strong and durable."

"Nice," he replied, tapping it against his hand.

"Feel up to some training?"

"Sure," he replied, giving him his sticks back. He picked his staff up and joined Dick at the training arena. "On your mark."

"Mark," Dick said, and they started attacking each other. "You're getting better."

"Learned from the best."

"Appreciate that," he replied, punching Jason in the chest. He groaned and smashed Dick's kneecap, watching as he fell to the floor.

"And score," Jay said, grinning as he helped Dick to his feet.

"Nice move," he replied, picking his sticks up. "Whether you're dealing with a meta or a human, there are weaknesses to everyone. You just have to figure out what that is."

Dick's phone lit up, and he picked it up. "Babs is ready to go to the cave. Want to come?"

"You better not leave me here," he replied, grinning at him as he grabbed for his shades.

"Well, this also came in today," he replied, leading Jason down to the bikes.

"I have my own bike?"

"You sure do."

Jason got on it, turning the key in the ignition as he did so. He then grinned at Dick.

"Now you can go to the cave whenever you want."

"Thanks," he replied, putting the red helmet on. Dick got onto his own bike and led him to the zeta tube.

"About time you both showed up," Barbara said, waiting for them by the booth.

"It takes us a while to get here. We don't live just a few blocks down."

"Whatever. Ready to go?"

"Ladies first," Jason said, holding his arm out. She smiled at him before stepping into the booth and disappearing. When she reappeared in the cave, she waited for Dick and Jason to appear as well before moving to the living room.

"There you are! Artemis has been holding Zatanna in her room. I'll go get them."

They nodded, and watched as M'gann disappeared down the hall. Dick turned to Barbara.

"I'm a little worried about her."

"What do you mean?"

"She gets a little upset at her birthday. She misses her father."

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

"She's a tough cookie. She'll be alright."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone shouted, once Zatanna, M'gann and Artemis walked into the room.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at them. "Thanks for the party, M'gann."

"Happy sixteenth," she said, giving her a hug.

"Happy birthday," Nightwing said, giving her a hug.

"Thanks, Nightwing. I appreciate it."

"Does she look sad to you?" Robin asked Batgirl, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I wonder why," she pondered back, looking ahead as Nightwing whispered something into Zatanna's ear, and she let out a small smile while her eyes watered. He then brought her in for a hug, and she buried her head into his chest, trying not to lose it all together.

Barbara felt so bad. She was clearly going through something.

"Come here, Rob," she said, pulling him away. They walked over to the punch bowl and grabbed some punch.

"Will she be alright?"

"I think she'll be ok. Nightwing will make her feel better."

"Hey," Nightwing said, walking up to them. He filled a cup.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She misses her dad. Every year for her birthday he would make this a really special day for her. She's a little better than she was last year, but she's still upset."

"I wish there was something I could do," she remarked sadly.

"You're here. That's plenty enough."

He placed his hand on her shoulder before grabbing hold of the cup. He walked back to Zatanna and gave it to her, and Barbara watched his lip movement.

"If you need anything, come find me, alright?"

"Thank you," she replied back, giving him another hug.

The music started playing, and Robin held his hand out. Batgirl smiled and took it.

"Nightwing tells me you've got a crush on someone."

"What?" he replied, pulling away while blushing. "No I don't!"

"Why are you blushing."

"I don't have a crush on anyone!"

She didn't say anything, but they continued to sway. "I'm just messing with you. Nightwing seems to think you like someone."

"He keeps trying to set me up with someone."

"Ignore him. You don't have to be with anyone if you don't want to be."

"Thank you," he replied, grinning up at her.

"Let me deal with our beloved Wingnut if he gives you anymore grief. He's enjoying his big brother role too much."

Jason groaned. "He's an annoying brother."

She laughed. "You love him and you know it."

"Nope," he replied, swaying with her.

"Well, unfortunately for you, he will always be the big, annoying brother."

He groaned again, and she laughed, rubbing his back as they swayed together.

"Now this is cute," Artemis said, walking up to them. "Nightwing said you had a crush on someone."

Robin growled again. "Excuse me. I find to go find Wingnut."

Barbara laughed as he turned to walk away. She grabbed for the glass Artemis handed her and took a sip from it.

"Poor Zatanna," she remarked, turning around. Barbara followed suit. "It's her birthday, and she looks like she's not evening enjoying herself."

"I might know the reason," Barbara said, handing her cup back to Artemis. "I'll be right back."

Artemis nodded, and she turned to walk towards Zatanna. She took a deep breath before she tapped on the girl's shoulder.

"Hey, Zatanna?" Batgirl said quietly, watching as she turned around. "Can we talk?"

She nodded, and they walked to a quiet part of the cave. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just I wanted to see how you were doing. Nightwing said that you've been missing your father around your birthday."

"I'm alright."

"Look, um, I know how you feel. My mother left when I was a child. I went to bed one night and the next morning she was gone. I haven't seen her since that night nor has she written or talked to me."

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I just want you to know that you're not alone. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about your mom. That's awful that she left."

"Yeah," she replied, looking away. "I just want you to know that you're not alone."

"Thanks, Batgirl. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Your father wouldn't want you to be sad, though. Not on your birthday. He'd want you to be happy and have fun."

"I know he would. I just miss him."

"And I miss her, but I'm not going to let it stop me. They made their decisions. The difference between them was that your father did it with honor, while my mother did it selfishly."

"Thank you," she said, giving her a hug.

"Happy birthday."

"There's that smile," Artemis said, walking back up to them. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you both. Now, Batgirl's right. I need to stop being sad. It's not every day I turn sixteen."

"Let's go party," Artemis said, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"I hope the birthday girl likes her cake," M'gann said, bringing it out. She placed it on the table and light the candles.

"It looks beautiful. Thank you."

Everyone started singing, and she smiled between them, stopping at Batgirl. She threw her a smile back, and when everyone stopped singing she blew out the candles.

"I'm glad to see you and Zatanna getting along so well," Nightwing said, walking up to Batgirl. She smiled.

"I just told her about my mom. She seemed to understand."

"Be careful how much you tell, but thank you. She looks a lot happier now."

"Did Rob find you? He was going to kick your butt."

"About what this time?"

"You saying that he has a crush on someone."

He laughed. "Nah. Last time I saw him he was hanging out with Connor."

"When does he get to join?"

"After the two of you go through training. Batman's going to give him the A-ok."

"When is that again?"

"Next Saturday is when you, Rob, Tula and Garth will start. It's pretty fun. You get to spend the entire Saturday at the cave going through the toughest workout of your life. Real fun."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. "I'm really excited."

"And you're going to be really sore. Trust me."

She looked around, spotting Robin talking with Zatanna. Dick held a chair out and she sat down in it, watching as he sat opposite of her.

"Coming with us on patrol tonight?"

"If you ask nicely."

"Pretty please?" he asked, giving her the smile that always made her stomach do flips.

"That's better. I'll be there."

"Great. I look forward to seeing you," he replied with a grin, and she smiled back at him.

"I'm sure you do."

"Hey," Connor said, sitting down at the table with them.

"Hello, Connor. How are you?"

"Getting a little restless, to be honest."

"We'll have a mission soon. I see you've been talking to Rob."

"He's a good kid," he replied, looking back at him.

"Most of the time," Nightwing replied, and Batgirl rolled her eyes.

"You are _so_ not one to talk."

Connor laughed. "You two are something."

"I don't know whether that's an insult or a compliment," Nightwing said, furrowing his brow.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Are you staying for long?"

"A little while. Batman will have our heads if we're late for patrol, especially Rob."

"How are you, Connor? I haven't gotten to see you much lately," Barbara said, placing her hand on his arm.

He shrugged. "Nothing much, really. Between school and the team, there's not really a lot of time."

"How are you and M'gann?"

"Good. We're happy."

"You two are cute together."

He blushed. "Thanks."

"Batgirl likes to get involved in everyone's love lives," Nightwing commented, and she turned to glare at him.

"No, I don't."

"Uh huh," he replied, leaning back in his seat with his arms folded. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Hey, Zatanna," she said, as the young girl walked over to them.

"Are you all having a good time?"

"I'm more concerned about you," Nightwing said, pulling the chair out next to him. She sat down. "How are you?"

"Much better," she replied, throwing a smile towards Batgirl. "Don't worry about me."

"Happy birthday," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you. I really appreciate all of you throwing this party for me."

"You deserve a good birthday."

Robin walked up to them, an annoyed expression on his face. Nightwing grinned.

"Have you been looking for me?"

"I hate you."

"Aw, c'mon, Rob. Don't be like that."

Batgirl laughed. "Oh, you two."

"Anyway, Batman wants us back in Gotham. Says there's an emergency."

"And that's our cue to leave," Nightwing said, as he and Batgirl stood up. "Happy birthday, Z."

"Happy birthday, Zatanna," Batgirl said, giving her a hug. They quickly bid everyone a goodbye before rushing to the zeta tubes.

* * *

"Ready, Jay?" Dick asked, putting his mask on. Jason nodded.

"Barbara going to meet us there?"

"That's what she said."

They hopped onto their bikes and started on the path to the zeta tube. Putting them into the garage, they walked to the booth and disappeared, reappearing in the cave.

"Batman finally have another mission for us?" Wally asked, speeding up to them.

"Yup. He'll be here any minute."

"It's about time."

Nightwing and Robin looked at each other, shaking their heads as they did so. The zeta tube went off again, and Batgirl walked through, flashing them smiles.

"Thanks for alerting me."

"Sorry," Nightwing replied with a shrug, and she slapped his arm.

"Rude."

"I'm getting tired of listening to you two," Robin replied, rolling his eyes behind his mask.

"See? He's your mini-me."

She smiled, walking over to Robin. "Why do you say that?"

"He's got your attitude."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Yes. Because now I have to put up with two of you."

She glared at him before Batman walked into the room. Everyone immediately quieted down as he pulled security footage up.

"Gather around," he said. "A few hours ago, a S.T.A.R. Labs truck carrying equipment was stolen on route to the facility in Los Angeles. I need the team to figure out where that equipment is and get it back. I have on lead on where the truck may be. With Aqualad on assignment for Aquaman, Nightwing you're leading this mission. Robin, you and I are due back in Gotham."

"Have fun," he said, flipping his staff in his hand as he followed Batman to the zeta tube. Nightwing turned to the team when they disappeared.

"Alright. Batman sent me the information we need. We need to figure out where that equipment is. Let's get to the bioship."

They nodded, and they walked onto the ship, sitting in the seats that appeared. They were all silent as the ship took off.

"GPS shows the truck is moving towards Arizona. We should be able to find it quickly."

They nodded, and the ship sped off towards the location. Nightwing looked out the window, trying to spot the truck as they drove over the GPS coordinates."

"There," Batgirl said, looking down below. The truck was speeding off down the road.

"Miss. Martian, is there any way to stop it?"

"No."

"Kid, get ready to drop. We need you to get ahead."

He nodded, getting out of his seat. He put his goggles down right as the chute opened. He jumped down and ran towards the driver side, struggling to keep up with the truck. He managed to get up in front, watching as the truck swerved to avoid him and fell to its side.

"Land," Nightwing ordered, and Miss. Martian landed the ship. Kid Flash managed to get the door opened, pulling the driver out as he did so.

"W-what's going on?" the driver asked, shaking.

"Why did you hijack this truck?" Nightwing asked, looking at him.

"I didn't!" he cried, still shaking as Kid let go of him. "I'm the driver. I was given orders to change course to Phoenix."

"By who?"

"My superior. The man in charge of the Phoenix branch. I went to the Los Angeles branch but they told me the equipment on this truck was for Phoenix. So I changed course and was on my way there."

"The Los Angeles S.T.A.R. Labs gave an urgent distress call to the Justice League. Said that the truck never showed up."

"But I did show up. The man there said the orders from the boss in Phoenix. Told me that the cargo was to go there."

"Do you mind if we look in the truck?"

"Of course," he said with a nod, and Dick and Wally moved towards the back of the truck, opening it as they did so.

"What is it?" Wally asked, furrowing his brow as he did so.

"Not certain." He turned back to the driver. "Do you know what this is?"

"I'm just the driver. They don't tell me what I'm hauling."

"I hate to look at it."

"Then don't. I can have Flash here in a heartbeat."

"Call him," Nightwing ordered, and Kid nodded, turning to walk away.

"What do we do about him?" Superboy asked Nightwing, gesturing his head towards the driver.

"Nothing. Batman's taught me how to tell liars. This man isn't lying. He was just doing his job."

"Should we alert Batman that there's a mole?" Batgirl asked, turning towards him.

He let out a breath before walking away from her. Putting his finger up to his ear, he contacted Batman.

"Batman."

"The driver didn't hijack the truck. He's the original driver. He showed up at the L.A. branch, but said that an employee there received orders from the boss in the Phoenix branch telling him to go there. There's something in the back of the truck, and Kid has called Flash in to check it out."

"I'll send Superman as well, and Wonder Woman to the Phoenix branch to figure out what's going on there."

"Nightwing out," he said, turning his communication off.

"Uh, guys," Zatanna said, getting their attentions, "what is that?"

They turned around and spotted something flying down the road. Kid quickly moved to try to stop the car, but something was thrown into the road and he tripped. Everyone else moved out of the way.

"Get the package!" one of the men ordered, pointing to the truck.

"Can't let you do that," Nightwing said, as they got back out.

"Oh, look, it's the pathetic junior Justice League. This should be easy."

Several men jumped out of the back. Everyone moved to stop them, Superboy moving to the back of the truck to prevent anyone from getting inside. Nightwing withdrew his escrima sticks and started fighting off his own man, finding it difficult to keep up with him.

"Alright, BG?" he asked, fighting back-to-back with her. She nodded.

"Having a lot of fun here."

"Good," he replied with a grin, dropping his own man to the floor. A streak went by, and all the men were bound.

"Better late than never," Kid said, throwing his uncle a grin.

"You act like I'm always late," he replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You _are_ always late."

"You're a complainer," he replied, opening the door to the truck. Superman dropped down a second later.

"What do we have here, Flash?"

"Something that's clearly wanted," he replied, climbing into it. He removed the cover, furrowing his brow.

"What is that?"

"Whatever it is, it's in parts," Superman said. "There's more of these out there."

"All of the trucks have been sent to their designated areas. This is the only one unaccounted for."

"I swear I didn't know," the driver said, clearly worried. Superman placed his hand on his shoulder.

"We believe you. A medic is on the way to get you to the hospital."

"Thank you," he replied, sitting on the road.

"We should take this to the Hall of Justice," Flash said, picking the pieces up. Superman agreed.

"I can take them there now."

"The police are on their way. We'll get them rounded up."

"If there's more parts, could there have been more taken?"

"Everything has been accounted for. My guess is there's something in this group that they wanted. Figuring we'd find out if they attacked the truck, they managed to get someone on the inside to divert it."

Nightwing and Superboy walked over to the man in charge, bending down in front of him. "Who do you work for?"

The man grinned. "Junior Justice League."

"Answer him!" Superboy said, glaring down at the man.

"You continue to cross our paths and you will not like what's coming."

"So you work for the light, then?"

"You will not like what's coming," he repeated back to him.

"We're not going to get any answers out of them," Nightwing said, standing back up.

"As long as the rest of them have been accounted for, our work here is done."

"Can we trust what we hear?" he asked back, watching as the rest of the team gathered around them. "Are we sure they're all secure?"

"We have Wonder Woman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl looking into it. For now, all of your work is done," Superman said, collecting all of the pieces in his arms. "Return to the cave."

They nodded, and hopped back onto the ship, taking off back towards Happy Harbor. Nightwing pulled his gauntlet up and started looking through information.

"You've done good," Batgirl assured him. He looked up at her.

"Yeah."

"You have. We got the parts back very easily."

"That's what worries me."

She didn't reply, but she looked ahead, watching the scenery as it passed by them. When they finally arrived back at the cave sometime later, she grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him out of everything's sight.

"Ok, what is going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you getting so frustrated with this?"

"I'm not."

"Nightwing, I know you too well. I know when something is bothering you."

"I just-" he started, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel like there's something more going on here. This mission was too easy. We live in Gotham. When something's too easy there's something else going on."

"You're being paranoid."

"I'm not," he replied, looking down at her. "My instincts are usually right."

"Like when you think I'm mad when I'm not?" she shot back, crossing her arms. He rolled his eyes behind his mask.

"You are mad when you say you aren't!"

"You know nothing about girls," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not arguing with you about this!" he replied, throwing her a grin.

"So you admit you know nothing about girls."

"You never let anything drop," he replied, giving her a look.

"It's really hard to have a friend who's a boy sometimes. They're such idiots," she replied with a fake sigh, shaking her head.

"Idiot! I take major offense to that, Batgirl!"

"I'm surprised that even got through to your thick skull," she replied, tapping his head. He grinned at her.

"You're asking for trouble," he replied.

"Still, I know when something bothers you. Do you want to talk about it?"

He smiled softly. "Later."

"Alright," she replied, pressing her hand to his arm. "We need to go."

* * *

"You look like a dork," Jason said, standing in Dick's doorframe with his arms cross. A smirked was plastered on his face.

"I look good," he replied, looking himself over in the mirror.

"If you say so."

"Are you sure you don't want to go?"

"I'd much rather go out like this tonight," he replied, gesturing down to his Robin suit.

"If you insist. Kick some major butt for me."

"Will do."

"Meet me down in the cave," Bruce said, walking into Dick's room. Jason nodded, and turned to walk out. "Have a good night."

"Thanks, Bruce."

"Alfred will pick you up from the school at ten."

"Alright."

"And seriously," Bruce said, putting his hand on Dick's shoulder, "have a good night. It's nice to be able to get away from Nightwing every once in a while."

"Yeah it is. I think it'll be a great night."

He clapped his shoulder again before turning to walk out. Looking at himself one last time in the mirror, he turned to walk out of his bedroom, meeting Alfred down by the car.

"Are you ready, young sir?"

He nodded, and got into the car. The ride into the city was quiet, and he nervously tapped his fingers against the car door as he thought about the night ahead.

"We're here, young sir."

"Be right back, Alfie," he said, getting out of the car. He rang up to Barbara's apartment, and waited for her to answer. When she finally did, he walked through the door and up to her apartment. He knocked on the door, unable to hide a smile as she opened it.

"Wow," he said, looking her up and down. "You look….beautiful."

And she did. Her hair was tied back into an elegant bun, and she wore a silver dress that went down to her ankles with a pair of heels. The neckline wasn't too deep, but she was also wearing the necklace that he had given her for her birthday.

She looked so beautiful.

"Thanks," she said, watching as he grabbed hold of her hand and twirled her around. "You clean up so nicely."

"I'm offended. I always look nice."

"So you say."

"Are you ready?"

"Just about. I need to grab something."

He nodded, and she turned to walk out of the room. Jim waited until she was out of the room before he stood up, and Dick quickly looked down.

"Make sure my daughter has a good time tonight."

"I will, sir," he replied quietly.

"Ready," Barbara said, walking back into the room but stopping when she saw them talking. "Dad!"

"Just having a conversation, pumpkin," he replied, kissing her head. "Have a good night."

"We will," she replied, giving her father a hug. "I'll be back around ten-thirty."

He nodded, and she quickly pushed Dick out the door before he could say another word. They walked down quietly to Alfred's car, and they climbed in.

"You look very nice, Miss. Gordon."

"Thanks, Alfred," she replied with a smile and slight blush.

"I've been looking forward to this."

"So have I," she replied, looking back over at Dick. "Thanks for asking me."

"Thanks for coming. I thought for a moment you were going to say no."

"Would I say no to you?"

"Yes," he replied with a small, fake pout. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, bird brain."

"See how she treats me, Alfie?"

Alfred smiled. "Don't drag me into this, Master Richard."

"Hmph. Side-taker."

"Everyone's a side-taker to you."

"Well, Jay _was_ on my side."

"For like a second."

"He's a traitor."

"Speaking of," she replied, looking out the window. He moved next to her, and grinned when he saw Batman and Robin staring down at them. Robin threw them a two finger salute before following after Batman.

"It feels weird not being with them," she remarked, turning back to Dick.

"We deserve a night off, Babs. We've been working non-stop lately."

She didn't say anything, and they remained quiet until they pulled into the Gotham Academy parking lot.

"Have a good time," Alfred said, and they both nodded before stepping out of the car. They walked into the school, and both of their mouths opened as they looked around the gym.

"Wow."

"It's beautiful," she said, looking around. "There's Wally and Artemis."

They walked over to the table, and the couple looked up, flashing them a smile as they did so.

"Look at the both of you!" Artemis said. "You both look so nice!"

"Thank you," they replied, and Dick pulled Barbara's chair out.

"You look nice _together_ ," Wally said, winking at Dick. He rolled his eyes. Barbara blushed and looked away.

"You look great, Artemis," Dick said, glancing over to her.

"Thank you."

"Wally, you look…eh."

"Same to you," he replied, glaring at him as he took a sip of his drink. Dick laughed.

"Where's the kid?"

"He didn't want to come. Dances aren't his thing," Barbara replied.

"It's you two going solo, huh?" Wally asked, wrapping his arm around Artemis' shoulder. Dick gave him a look.

"Wallace thinks he's a romance guru."

"It's Wally!"

"He's not," Artemis replied, flashing a smile to Barbara.

"That's because his mouth can't keep up with his head," Dick said, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded. A smirk covered his face.

"I better go find Jason. I need to ask him how long it took you to get ready for tonight. I bet it took hours for you to think you look good."

"I do look good. You look like you got ready in five seconds."

"I look good."

"You look like trash."

"I need to go to the bathroom," Artemis said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"I'll go with you," Barbara said, gently squeezing Dick's arm before standing up. They walked into the bathroom and walked to the mirror.

"You really look beautiful tonight," Artemis said, turning to her.

"Thank you. I love your dress. You look good in red."

"Thanks. Wally seemed to agree." There was silence for a moment. "So, Grayson actually asked you, huh?"

"Yeah. I was really surprised, and really happy."

"He looks extremely happy. You both do."

Barbara smiled. "I think it's going to be a good night."

Artemis turned to her. "Oh, it's going to be a great night. He can't keep his eyes off of you."

She turned to walk out of the door, and Barbara stared at her in shock before following after her. They walked back into the gym and joined the guys at the table.

"Feel up to some dancing, babe?" Wally asked, standing up. He held his hand out to Artemis, and she smiled and took it. They walked out onto the floor.

"Are you thirsty?"

"I'm good, thank you," she replied quietly, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She nodded, a smile lighting up her face.

"I'd love to," she replied, placing her hand in his own. He helped her up from the seat and led her out to the gym floor, placing his hands on her hips as he did so. She wrapped hers around his neck.

"You really do look beautiful," he said, looking over her.

"Thank you," she said, blushing slightly as she looked away from him.

' _So, so beautiful,'_ he thought, unable to take his eyes away from her.

His heart pounded in his chest as she slowly danced together. She was smiling up at him, enjoying herself underneath the dim lights.

"Are you having a good time?"

"I'm having a great time," she said, flashing him a smile.

"Good."

"It's so beautiful in here," she said, looking around at all the decorations. He nodded, moving his head around to look as well.

"Doesn't quite look like our old gym, does it?"

"Far different."

"This isn't awkward for you, is it?" he asked carefully, still debating if he was going to tread on this subject or not. She looked at him in confusion.

"Not at all. Is it for you?"

"I thought it might be, but it's actually not."

She smiled softly, moving slightly closer to him. "I have to admit, though, I hadn't expected you to ask me to the dance."

"I really did want to come with you."

She didn't reply, but she rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to sway to the song. She glanced over and spotted Wally and Artemis dancing together. Artemis caught her eye and winked at her, and she turned away.

The song finally came to an end, and they pulled away to look at each other. Gesturing to the table, she nodded and walked over to it, watching as he pulled her seat out for her.

"You're a good dancer," she remarked, when he sat across from her. He grinned.

"I've had a lot of practice."

She huffed playfully. "Rich boy."

"Hey, you come to most of the galas."

"For Bruce."

"Oh, I'm sure it's for Bruce," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"It is. Oh, Jay too."

"We all know you love Jason. He loves you, too."

"Not you?" she asked sadly, batting her eyes at him. He shook his head.

"Nope. I just put up with you."

"I'm insulted."

"You'll get over it."

The song changed, and he stood back up, holding his hand out to her. "Ready for another one?"

"I'm going to be tired at the end of the night, aren't I?" she asked, a smile lighting up her face. She put her hand in his and stood up, following him out to the floor once again.

"Wouldn't be a dance if you weren't."

She smiled up at him and they danced along to the song, having such a good time that she didn't even know how much time has passed.

They were both having way too much fun.

* * *

"Is there anything to do?" Robin asked, tapping his hand against his cheek.

"Sometimes you need you settle down and check out your surroundings. Not every mission is about action."

"Right then, Yoda."

He turned to look at him. "Hard to imagine who helped train you."

Robin looked on, moving his head back and forth as he overlooked the city. "Where to, boss?"

"Patience, Robin. We never move too quickly."

"There has to be something."

"Patience. Something will come up. It is Gotham, after all."

Robin tapped his staff against his hand, trying to hold down his patience while Batman surveyed his surroundings. Finally, his finger moved to his ear, and he looked over to Robin and nodded.

"There's a break-in at the Gotham Casino. Let's move."

"Finally," he replied, jumping down to the car. They got in, and he quickly drove off to the casino. They quickly got out of the car, and Batman opened a vent, gesturing his head for Robin to climb through.

"I want you to go through the vents. Cut the power and turn your detective vision on. Stay of out sight until I give you orders otherwise."

Robin nodded, and he climbed through the vents. Batman pulled out his grapnel and grappled up top, looking down through the skylight below. Putting his detective vision on, he waited until the power turned off before breaking the glass and hopping through. He quickly took down the three men that resides in the main hall before moving to the casino room. Quickly pulling on his grapnel, he flew up top, using his vision to look down below.

"Robin?" he said quietly, trying not to draw attention over the men calling out for one another. "Get ready."

"Understood."

"Turn on the power, you nitwits!" one of the men called, looking around.

"It's Batman and Robin. They had to have cut the power."

"Where are you freaks?! Come out and find us!"

"With pleasure," Batman said, hopping down in front of him. He quickly took two of the men down before turning back to Robin, proud to see him take down two of his own.

A creak was heard, and they grappled up to the ceiling, watching as more men entered, including Black Mask.

"Find them!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir!"

"Seriously? How can he breathe in that ridiculous mask?" Robin whispered.

"Quiet," Batman whispered back, surveying his surroundings.

"Come out little birdie! We have a surprise for you!"

"Yeah, birdie, come out of your little nest and play!"

Batman held his hand up, and Robin mentally groaned, more than ready to take these men down. He finally issued a hand command, and they quietly jumped down, quietly taking down the two men near the door. Hiding behind the blackjack table, they peeked around and took two more men down, spotting just two more men close together. Looking over at Batman, Robin waited for his cue before they moved, turning their detective vision before throwing smoke. They managed to take both of the men down, and that's when Rob noticed.

A man with a knife was coming up behind Batman.

"Batman!" he called out, jumping over to him. Batman turned around, but was quickly attacked by Black Mask. Robin tackled the man to the floor and started beating him with his staff, and he didn't stop until he felt Batman pull him away.

"ROBIN! STAND DOWN!" he ordered, and he put his staff down, letting out deep breaths.

"He was going to stab you."

"You stoop to their level, and you are no better than they are. You went too far." He turned back to the unconscious criminal. "He has at least three broken bones."

Robin didn't reply, but he looked away. Batman let out a frustrated sigh as he tied Black Mask up, pressing his hand against his head as he did so.

* * *

"This was a lot of fun," Artemis said, as she grabbed hold of her belongings.

"It definitely was. I don't think those two are ready to go yet," Wally said, gesturing his head to Dick and Barbara, who were still swaying to the last song. She smiled.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"Knowing those two, quite a while," he replied, helping her put her coat on.

"Want to take a bet?"

"Ok. I give it a year."

"I give it six months."

"Deal," he replied, shaking her hand. Dick and Barbara walked over to them.

"You two look happy," Artemis said, throwing them a smile. Wally nudged her.

"I've had a good time," she replied, smiling as well.

"Alfred should be waiting out front," Dick said, helping her put her jacket on.

"Ok," she replied. "See you guys soon?"

"You better, red," Wally replied, punching her arm.

"See you at school Monday."

They bid goodbye to Wally and Artemis before walking out of the school. They spotted Alfred's car and got inside.

"How was the dance?"

"I had a really great time," Barbara said with a smile, and Dick threw her one back.

"So did I."

The drive back to Barbara's apartment was a quick one. When they stopped outside of her house, Dick opened the door and helped her out of the car.

"Careful. Watch the ice," he said, pushing her away slightly so she wouldn't step on it. She opened the door and they stepped through, walking the stairs up to the second floor. They stopped outside of her door.

"I had a really great night," she said, smiling up at him. "Thank you."

"So did I. I'm really glad we went together."

"Me, too."

They stared at each other, unable to turn away but unable to say anything more. Eventually he swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck.

' _Don't do it. You'll ruin the friendship!'_

' _ **But I want to do it!'**_

The door opened, and they jumped back in shock. Jim was standing there, looking over them as he did so.

"Hi, daddy," she said, throwing him a smile.

"Hi, pumpkin. Did you have a good time?"

"The best."

"That's good. It's late, and I'm sure Dick needs to get home now."

"Er, right. See you later, Babs."

"Dad," she sighed, pressing her hand to her face. "I'll see you later, Dick."

He nodded, and started to turn to walk away. He was just about to walk out of the building when he heard his name being called, and he turned around to see Barbara running up to him.

"Told dad I forgot something in the car. I just wanted to properly say goodbye."

He laughed. "I really hope you had a good time."

"I did. Thank you."

"I should probably be going."

She nodded, tucking a piece of her hair back behind her ear. She then pressed her hand against his cheek and pressed a kiss to his other cheek, lingering a little longer than necessary.

"Thanks for a fun night, bird brain. I'll catch you later."

"Yeah," he said, and he waited until she was back inside before hopping into the passenger seat, unable to shake his smile as he pressed his fingers to his cheek.

"Good night, Master Dick?"

"A great night, Alfie. A really great night."

Alfred hid a smile as he drove back to the cave.

Dick and Barbara would have to figure it out on their own.

He was sure Alfred was talking to him, but he wasn't listening. His mind was focused on the feeling of Barbara's lips on his cheek. They finally pulled into Wayne Manor, and he got out of the car.

"Should I join Bruce and Jason tonight?"

"Master Bruce was adamant that you take the night off. He said, and I quote, "enjoy the dance and take the rest of the night off."

Dick chuckled. "Alright, Alfred. I'll just get ready for bed then."

"Of course, sir."

He walked up to his bedroom and changed out of his suit, feeling much more comfortable now that he was in his pajamas. He looked at his phone and smiled at the picture he had taken with Barbara at the dance.

He still hasn't shaken the smile.

Grabbing for his bookbag, he walked out of the room and down to the informal living room. He turned the TV on and pulled his books out, eager to get started on his Earth Science project. He didn't even notice Alfred setting a small tray of sandwiches down beside him.

"Don't stay up too late, young sir."

"Don't worry about me, Alfie. I just want to get this started."

He nodded, and Dick started to work on his project, growing more and more tired as time pushed on. Eventually, he packed his bag and started to walk up to his room when he heard voices arguing from the study.

"I'm not finished!" Bruce said. "You could have costed us the mission!"

"I already said I'm sorry!" Jason cried back, and Dick finally put his bag onto the stair step before moving into the study. "What else can I say?"

"You went too far. You could have killed him."

"But I didn't, and he was going to kill you!"

"We do not do this. You know better."

"I'm sorry if I'm not going to let him hurt you!"

"Something the matter?" Dick asked, watching as Jason strolled past him without a word. "Alright then."

Bruce waited until Jason left the study before turning to him. "How was the dance?"

"I had a fun night. Something tells me you didn't."

"Jason's becoming more aggressive. Far too aggressive."

Dick let out a deep breath. "How bad?"

"One of the men had multiple broken bones."

He pressed his hand to his head. "I'll keep working with him. We'll get him to calm down a little."

"I need you to go talk to him. Once he cools down."

"I will."

He nodded, and walked out of the study. Dick took a deep breath before heading back to the stairwell. He grabbed for his bag and walked up to his room. Taking another deep breath, he walked across the hall to Jason's room, knocking softly on the door.

"Jay? Can we talk?"

"Go away!"

"C'mon, let's talk."

"I don't want to talk!"

"Just open the door."

"Go away, Dick! I don't need another lecture!"

"It's not a lecture. I just want to see how you're doing."

The door opened, and he stood on the other side, glaring at Dick as he did so. "I'm fine."

"Clearly you're not."

"It was an accident, alright!"

"I know that," he replied, sitting on Jay's bed. "It's hard not to cross that line. Come here, let me tell you a story."

"Another one?" he groaned out, sitting down next to him.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but the night you saved Barbara, I was there. I saw everything. I was mad, so mad that I went too far on a mission and I got lectured, too. I'm sure Bruce said the same things to you that he said to me. I also got detention because I crossed a line."

"That was worth it though, right?"

"Oh, yeah, totally. That actually felt good."

Jay laughed. "Wish I had been there."

"No, you don't. You don't need to get into any more trouble. Trust me."

"I really didn't mean to," he said, dropping his head.

"I know, and Bruce knows." He looked forward and took a deep breath. "You had such a hard life growing up, and sometimes we forget about it. You lived in _Crime Alley_. That place is literal definition of a nightmare, especially for Bruce. We forget that, in order to live there, you had to fight and steal and whatever else to survive. What might be crossing the line to us might be surviving to you. It's just how you were raised."

Jason was silent for a moment. "Think there's hope for me?"

"More than plenty. We all have faith in you. If we didn't, you wouldn't be Robin." He looked up, and Dick grinned at him. "Don't worry about it, alright? Barbara and I have both gotten lectures before."

"Barbara has?"

"Oh, yes. You see, Barbara loves to hack into computers. That's how she found out about me. She hacked into our comms on night, and overheard Bruce and I talking. She met me up on GCPD, and she figured it out. Man, Bruce gave her the lecture of a lifetime."

Jason smiled softly. "I feel a little better now."

"I figured you would. Hey, you know, it's been a while since we've hung out without the suits or the glasses. Why don't we go catch a movie, huh? Whatever one you want to see."

"Cool," he replied, rubbing his eyes. Dick stood up.

"Try to get some sleep, Jay. Don't focus on mistakes. It'll cost you if you do. Tomorrow, we'll go have some fun."

* * *

"Ready," Jason said, putting his mask on. Bruce turned to Dick.

"You know what you need to do."

"It'll be done."

They both looked over at Jay, who was leaning up against the Batmobile.

"Go easy on him, Bruce. He's trying."

"Go on. I need to speak with Jason."

Dick nodded his head before hopping onto his bike. Bruce waited until Dick was gone before turning back to his other young charge.

"Another lecture?"

"No. Sometimes, Jason, I still feel like I'm working with Dick. You two are very much different in your fighting techniques, despite being trained by him. You're a little more aggressive than he is. However, you can't deny that you went too far. We both have things we need to work on, and tonight we're going to work on them."

"Do you mean that?"

"I do. We're partners, right? We work on things together. Now, are you ready to go?"

"Always," he replied with a grin, and Bruce clapped his shoulder before putting his cowl on.

"Then let's show them what this Batman and Robin can do. Together."

* * *

"Do you need me to do anything else?" Kid Flash asked, looking over at his friend.

"No. You've done enough. Thank you."

"Who would that be?" he replied, looking down below. He then looked back up and grinned. "Got a date with Batsy, do we?"

"Hm?" he asked, looking down below. "I didn't think she was coming out tonight."

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt your date. Have a good time," he replied with a wink before disappearing. Nightwing let out a deep breath before he saw the grapnel latch near his foot.

"Evening," he said, when she appeared at the top of the building. She threw him a smile.

"Evening. I thought you were at the cave."

"I was working on something for Batman. I thought you were home."

"I was going to stay home tonight, but I wanted to come out instead. My father's going to be gone for a little while longer. I thought I would meet up Batman and Robin."

"Nah, let them do their own thing. Trust me."

"Well, if you need any help, here I am."

"I could actually use your help, if you don't mind. I was going to look at this back at the cave. Feel like coming along?"

"Sounds great," she said, and they hopped off the building back to their bikes. Driving in silence back to the cave, he couldn't help but glance over and smile softly as her hair flew behind her.

They pulled into the cave and parked their bikes. They then hopped off and walked over to the computer, and she hid a smile when he gestured for her to sit in the chair.

"What are we looking at?" she asked, when he pulled the information up.

"This is a personal mission I've been on all night. There were some members of the light here in Gotham. K.F. and I were able to find them, and they gave us this intel. I was hoping you could crack their encryption so we can get inside."

"Aren't you a hacker?" she asked with a smirk.

"You're better at it than I am."

"Fair enough," she replied, turning back to the keyboard. She started to work on the encryption. "It's going to take some time."

"Good thing we have some," he replied, leaning over the back of the chair. They sat in silence for a few minutes as she continued to type, and he couldn't help but notice the way her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together as she struggled to break the code.

"How do you know how to do all this?"

"I like to read," she replied. "Guess I picked it up along the way."

"No wonder you excel in computer class," he replied, and she grinned up at him.

"I read through that book in just a few days. Went to the public library and picked up some more."

"You are an amazing partner. You know that, right?"

"I try my hardest," she replied with a smile, still typing away at the keyboard. "Almost got it."

"Keep on it. I'll be back."

She nodded, and he walked up through the passageway. Quickly grabbing the plate of cookies left out, he walked back down to the cave right as she threw her hands in the air.

"Yes!"

"I would say that deserves a reward," he replied with a grin, putting the plate in front of her face. She grabbed for one.

"Let's see what we have here," she said, looking through the files. She pulled one up, and both of their eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What is that?"

"It almost looks like the A.M.A.Z.O. design, but slightly different."

"A.M.A.Z.O.?" she asked in confusion.

"It was a machine created by Professor Ibo. It learned all the powers of the Justice League and used it against them-and us. Everyone who had powers who tried to take it down it recognized. We were able to destroy and dismantle it, but it almost looks like they're trying to make another. Is there anything else on this file?"

"Nothing much. Emails, paperwork. Oh, but this looks interesting," she said, pulling another file up. He looked over it.

"The information about the serum that took over Jay," he replied, enhancing the text to look at it. "They were going to infect all of us."

"Looks like you stopped their little plan," she replied with a grin, turning around in her chair to face him.

"God," he breathed out, and she turned back to the text. "They were going to kill them after they moved whatever they were hiding."

"We have them back, Dick. Don't reflect on the past."

"Anything else in that file?"

"Nothing," she said, flipping through them. "You might want to look at this though."

She pulled up a file, and he looked through it, marking important parts. He then closed it and removed the flash drive, sending everything in it to Batman's gauntlet.

"Batman," he called through, turning away from Barbara. She turned around in her chair and watched his back, her eyes just happening to fall down to his backside…..

"Will do, Bruce. See you soon," he replied, turning around to face her.

"Everything alright?" she asked in concern. He nodded.

"Bruce just wants me to meet him and Jay in about an hour."

"I suppose I should be getting home then," she said, looking at her phone. "Dad will be home soon."

"Want me to come back to your apartment with you?"

"I'd feel a little better, yeah."

He nodded, and they hopped on their bikes. Quickly driving back to her apartment, they parked their bikes and walked up the fire escape to her apartment.

"Are you hungry? I made dad some lasagna for dinner last night and there's leftovers if you want it."

"No, thanks. Is everything ok, red? You seem a little down."

"I'm fine, Dick. I'm just tired."

"Maybe you should go to bed."

She shook her head, sitting on her couch. She removed her cowl and threw it onto the coffee table.

"Babs, talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about."

He didn't say anything, but he grinned and placed his hands on her waist, tickling her. She shrieked and tried to push his hands away, laughing as loud as she could. She fell back on the couch, trying to kick him away.

"D-Dick!" she laughed, watching as he pinned her legs underneath him.

"Say please."

"P-p-please!" she cried, struggling against him. He withdrew his hands.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She smiled, trying to get her breathing back under control.

"I haven't heard you laugh like that in a little while."

"Why do you think there's something wrong with me?"

"I just feel like something's different between us."

"There's nothing, Dick. You're being paranoid again."

"Or is it my thick skull not understand women again?"

"That's it," she replied with a smile, and he grinned back at her.

"There's the Babs I remember."

She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. "You act like I've changed."

"I still remember the first day I met you. Eight, little, and full of compassion."

"I was taller than you," she replied, shoving his chest. He grinned at her again.

"Not anymore."

"Shut up."

"You're short."

"I'm pretty tall, thank you."

"Pretty short to me."

He hovered over her, and she looked up at him, unable to look away. He was still grinning down at her.

"Something the matter?"

She heard the deadbolt unlock, and her heart started pounding in her chest. "Go!"

He quickly jumped off of her and climbed out the window. Grabbing for her mask, she ran into her room and shut the door behind her, her breathing erratic and heart pounding in in her chest.

"Barbara?" Jim called through the door.

"Just changing. Be out in a minute."

When she knew he was out of sight, she unzipped her suit and climbed out of it, letting out a deep breath as she did so.

' _This is getting too hard.'_

* * *

"Master Jason," Alfred said, walking into his room, "Master Bruce would like to see you."

"Ok," he said, following behind Alfred. He led him to a room near the gym, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Right in here."

"Hello, Jason," Bruce said, and he furrowed his brow again as he looked around. It looked like a zen room, with candles lit around.

"What's going on?"

"When I went overseas, I was trained by a lot of people. Some of my training included zen techniques to try to help myself stay calm. Don't you laugh," he remarked, watching Jason's expression change. "We're going to try this a few times a week to see if we can calm down you a little. I know Dick and Barbara have been working with you again. This is just to help you, Jason. You need to learn to control your anger."

He sighed. "Alright."

"Sit down," he said, and Jason complied. "Clear your head. Get rid of all negative thoughts and feelings, and focus on the good ones. Do you have any good memories of your parents?"

"You mean before dad stealing, or my mom started using drugs? Because I wasn't even created yet."

"What's your happiest memory then?"

He looked away. "Coming here."

"Getting adopted, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Focus on that. Focus on all of the memories you've had since you've came here. Close your eyes, and take a deep breath."

* * *

"Hey, Babs," Dick said, watching as she pulled into the cave. She removed her helmet and shook her hair out.

"Hello, Dick. Where's Jason and Bruce?"

"Meditating."

"Meditating?"

"Bruce used to do it to me all of the time, too. Helps with the stress. With Jay going a little far lately, he figured it would help him out."

"Evening," Bruce said, as he and Jason walked downstairs.

"Hi, Jay."

"Hey, Barbara," he replied, walking down to greet her.

"Alfred made some sandwiches to eat before we leave if you would like some," Dick said

"Thanks," she replied, getting off her bike. "You coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute."

They nodded before walking upstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a sandwich from Alfred as they did so. Jason turned and looked out the French doors.

"See the moon tonight?"

"What about it?" she asked, looking up.

"I just think it looks awesome," he replied, looking up as well. He then turned to her.

"You're easily amused, aren't you?" she asked with a smile.

"There's a beautiful girl underneath the moonlight."

She rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't leave her face. "Dick has been teaching you to charm women _way_ too much."

"Don't worry about me, Barbie," he replied. "I won't end up like Wingnut."

She ruffled his hair, throwing a smile his way. "Don't grow up, Jay."

"I have to grow up, you know. Can't stay this pint-size forever."

"I like you this size," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"You'd like me better if I was taller."

"You'll be a very handsome young man, but a young man that acts like Dick."

"I won't act like him. I promise you," he replied, kissing her hand.

"Don't grow up on me," she said, giving him a hug. "I can't deal with anymore stupid boys."

He chuckled against her chest as she rested her cheek on top of his head. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Dick walked upstairs, furrowing his brow as he did so.

"Did I miss something?"

"Nothing," she replied, breaking away from Jason. They turned back to their plates.

"Alright then," he replied, reaching over to grab a sandwich of his own. She rolled her eyes, and Alfred walked into the kitchen.

"Master Bruce says it's time to leave."

"We'll be down in a minute, Alfred," Barbara said. He nodded before turning to walk away.

"Ready to go have some fun?" she asked the boys, who nodded in agreement.

"You bet, Barbie," Jason said with a grin, turning back to his plate to finish off his sandwich. When they finished they walked back down to the cave.

"Jason, you're with me. Barbara, Dick, take the bikes."

"Where to?" she asked, putting her helmet on.

"GCPD. I need to speak with your father."

She nodded, and followed the car out to the city and to GCPD. Parking in the alleyway near the building, they got out of the cars and grappled up to the top of the building.

"Batman," Jim said, nodding his head. "Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl."

"Commissioner," they replied, Barbara having turned her magnifier on.

"Joker has left this bound to one of his men that was murdered. We believe it's a calling card."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Batman replied, looking over the card. "Any leads?"

"None, and Quinn is still locked up tight. We have eyes on her at all times."

"He's not after her yet."

"Then who's he after?"

Batman turned his head to Robin and Batgirl, both of whom looked back at him in concern. "He's been after Robin since day one. No doubt he'll have plans to go after Batgirl and Nightwing as well."

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Joker will be back in Arkham soon enough."

"I have no doubt."

"Is something wrong, Jim?"

"I can't get ahold of my daughter. She's probably asleep, but I hate the fact that she's not answering. I should run home and check on her."

"I'm sure she's alright. She's probably asleep and will call soon."

"I sure hope so."

"Let's move," Batman said, turning back to his young charges. They jumped back down to the vehicles before he turned to Barbara. "Call your father."

She climbed into the Batmobile while Nightwing and Robin hopped onto the bikes, and she pulled her phone out to call her father.

"Barbara, thank god."

"Sorry, daddy," she said, swallowing. "I was taking a bath before bed and I didn't hear my phone go off."

"I'm just relieved you called. I was afraid that something happened to you."

"You worry too much," she replied with a fake laugh.

"Yeah, well, I just don't want something happening to you."

"I'm alright, dad."

"I know you are. You sound tired so I'm going to let you go. Get some sleep, Barbara."

"I will. Night, dad. Love you."

"Love you, too."

She ended the call, throwing her head back against the seat as she did so. "How do you do this, Batman?"

"Do what?"

"This double identity thing. I'm always so afraid that he'll find out."

"I warned you when you first started being Batgirl. It's difficult to manage both sides."

"I hate lying to him, but I know if I told him he would be so mad."

"Batgirl, you and you alone made this decision. That means you chose to take on the consequences as well. Hiding your secret from your father is a downside to you being Batgirl."

"There's a part of me that wishes I could tell him, but, I don't want him getting hurt because of me."

"This is the reason why I forbid all of you from telling the team your identity, but you have the much harder position of having to it hide from your father as well. I know it's a lot on you, but you have been a great partner and I see you getting better with time. You've done everything I've asked of you without question."

The scanner started going off.

" _All units, all units, intruder at Arkham Asylum. Believed to be Joker!"_

"Let's go," he said, starting the car. "Nightwing, Robin, intruder at Arkham. Follow me."

"Got it," they replied back, speeding up next to them. They dashed off to Arkham, getting out of the car the moment they arrived.

"It's the Bat!" one of the goons cried out, prepping his gun. Taking a smoke bomb out, Batman quickly threw it to the ground, and they all turned their detective vision on, looking around the crowd of men.

They started taking them down, moving quickly as they did so. Once all the men outside of the building were taken care of they quickly ran inside, watching as the security gate closed in front of them.

"They've locked down security. Robin."

Robin quickly plugged his gauntlet in and hacked through the system, watching as the gate lifted once again. Running through the halls, they quickly took down the several men lining them, ignoring the screaming from the men still locked in the cells.

"Batman, we're still in control of security. Joker has taken down a bunch of our men. We're unable to stop him."

"Lock down the security room and do not allow access. We're in the building now. I'm only assuming Joker is on his way to Quinn."

They continued to run through the building, stopping at Maximum Lockdown. They noticed that the door had been torn of the hinges, and they quickly ran through it, spotting Joker opening the cell to Harley Quinn.

"Batsy! I was wondering when you would show up."

"This stops now," he said.

"Hold on, Harley, this will only take a minute," he said, pulling a knife out.

"Get em, Mister J!"

Batgirl, Nightwing and Robin started moving around to take out the men while Batman moved towards Joker, ready to take him down.

"Rob, back to back!" Nightwing ordered, and he followed suit, fighting up behind him. Batgirl covered them, jumping out of the way to avoid gunshots.

"I've heard you've found some new allies there, Bats. The new Robin looks quite promising."

Batman didn't say anything, but he put his arms up to avoid another blow from Joker. He managed to knee him in the gut before Joker threw a blow to his face. He managed to get away from Batman and quickly grabbed onto Robin, pulling a knife out before anyone else could react.

"Get off of me, clown freak!" Robin said, struggling against him.

"I like this one," Joker said, pressing his knife against Robin's throat. "He's a little different than Nightbrat over there."

Batgirl threw her batarang, causing Joker to drop the knife. Robin quickly elbowed him in the stomach, and he moved back towards Batgirl, watching as Batman came up and started fighting with him. When Joker was down, he quickly bound him.

"Mista J!" Harley cried, tears forming in her eyes.

"Shut up, Harley!" he said back, glaring up at Batman.

"GCPD!"

"All yours," Batman said, locking Joker up in the cell next to Harley. An Arkham employee assisted.

"You ok?" Batgirl asked Robin, tilting his head up to look at his throat.

"Fine."

"Not a scratch. Good work, Rob."

"Yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked back up at Joker, who was grinning at him.

"Always wanted to clip that little bird's wings."


	10. Poems

**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait everyone! I should be able to get chapters out a little faster now.**

 **This one's for XPacman53 :)**

* * *

Dick stretched his arms over his head as he finally awoke, a grin forming on his face when he realized what day it was. He quickly threw his blankets off and hopped out of his bed, taking a quick shower before rushing downstairs, spotting Jason sitting at the island eating his breakfast.

"Good morning, little brother!"

Jason groaned. "What are you so happy about?"

"Have you forgotten what day it is?"

"Yeah, it's training day."

"That's right," he replied, rubbing his head. Jason swatted his hand away. "Excited?"

"I guess."

"It'll be fun, and you'll learn a lot."

"What time is Barbara getting here?"

"Sounds like she's on her way," Dick said, looking on his phone. "Training starts at one."

"Good morning," Bruce said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Morning, Bruce," they echoed, as Alfred put Dick's plate in front of him.

"Are you going to be part of the training group?" Dick asked, diving into his eggs.

"No. Martian Manhunter and I have other business. What are your plans today?"

"Not sure yet. Might head to the cave and hang out with the team, assuming you don't have a mission for us."

"Not today," he replied, and Dick's face dropped.

"Good morning," Barbara said, walking into the kitchen. She sat down next to Jason.

"Good morning, Miss. Gordon. Would you like something for breakfast?"

"No, thank you. I made dad breakfast when he got home this morning."

"You excited, Gordon?" Dick asked, flashing her a grin.

"Grayson's more excited than we are."

"It always seems to work out that way," she replied, pressing her hand to her head. Jason chuckled.

"Well, Gordon, since you're being mean today, you don't get to come."

"Sorry, I'm part of the training team," she replied, throwing him a grin.

"You're a pain to put up with."

"You're both pains," Jason said, finishing his breakfast. Barbara rubbed his head.

"Bruce doesn't think so, do you, Bruce?" Dick said, turning his head to his guardian. Bruce stopped drinking his coffee and raised an eyebrow at him.

"You don't want to hear my opinions."

"Ah, Bruce, you don't mean that."

"No, not to the eight-year-old who tracked me down, or the fifteen-year-old who hacked my equipment."

Barbara blushed and looked away. Jason looked over and grinned at them.

"So, I'm the good kid, right?"

"Didn't you try to steal our tires?" Dick asked, throwing him a smirk. Jason glared at him.

"You might want to do something about your boys. They're always at each other throats," Barbara said, looking between them. They both gave her a look while Bruce took another sip of his coffee.

"Finish your breakfasts. You need to leave soon."

"Yes, sir," they replied back, and Dick quickly finished his breakfast. They then walked down to the cave and changed into their suits.

"Today's the day," Dick said, grinning between Barbara and Jason. "Are you both ready?"

"I've been ready," Jason said, rubbing his hands together. Barbara smiled.

"Where are we going?"

"To the cave. Green Arrow and Black Canary will be your trainers."

"What will you do?"

"Have a fun time now that I don't have two small-fries to take care of."

Barbara punched his arm, and he rubbed it, grinning at her as he did so. Jason laughed behind his hand.

"Seriously, I plan on hanging out with the team. Maybe a mission will pop up for us."

"Have fun today," she replied, throwing him a smile. "C'mon, Jay, we need to be going."

He followed behind her to their bikes and drove off. Dick cracked his knuckles as he looked over at Alfred.

"I think I'm going to head to the cave today, Alfie."

"As you wish, sir."

"Unless you need me for something."

"It's the weekend. Have some fun."

"Thanks," he replied, grabbing for his glasses. He quickly put it on before hopping on his bike, slowly driving off to the booth where the zeta tube was. When he finally arrived, he parked his bike in the garage and disappeared off to the cave, furrowing his brow when he found it empty.

"Nightwing!" Connor said, walking up to him. He flashed him a grin.

"Hey, Supey."

"How's everything going?"

"They just started," he said, gesturing his head towards the window. They walked over to it and looked out, and Nightwing smiled softly as he saw Batgirl and Robin in formation, following Green Arrow and Black Canary's lead.

"So, Robin is allowed to join now?"

"I guess after training. I'll have to talk to Batman again."

"I think he'll do well here, to be honest."

"I think so, too."

"How have you been?" Connor asked, turning away from the window. He shrugged.

"Same old same old. You?"

"About the same. Going out there soon to train them."

"Hello, Nightwing," Zatanna said, walking up to them.

"Hey, Z. How's it going?"

"It's good. It's been kind of boring around here lately."

"It's just because I haven't been here, right?"

"You do make things more interesting," she replied with a smile, and he grinned at her.

"Glad to hear that."

"Be back in a minute, boys," she said, turning to walk away. Connor waited until she was gone before turning back to Nightwing.

"I don't mean to sound all Wally here, but it sounds like you two were flirting there."

"What?" he asked, turning to him in shock. "No we weren't!"

"If you say so," he replied, putting his hands in his pockets.

"We. Were. Not. Flirting," he stressed, crossing his arms.

"What? Nightwing was flirting with someone again?" Wally said, rushing into the room. Nightwing rolled his eyes and pressed his hand to his head.

"Are you always around?"

"You know you would miss me if I wasn't," he replied with a grin. "So, who was Nighty flirting with, Supey?"

"Zatanna."

"Was not!" he replied, pressing his hand deeper into his head.

Why couldn't he help with the training today?

* * *

"Hey," Nightwing said, standing up from the couch, "how'd it go?"

"Very well," Batgirl replied, smiling down at Robin. "He was having a blast."

"I'm sure you were," he replied with a grin, fist-bumping his little brother. "Not much longer, and you'll get to be a part of this team, too."

"Yeah, if Batman ever gives me permission."

Nightwing glanced up at Batgirl, who winked back in response. He then smiled at Robin. "This was going to be a surprise, but, if you complete the training, Batman will officially give you permission to join."

"Really?" he asked, looking up in amazement. Nightwing and Batgirl both nodded.

"Only if you complete the training, Robin. He told both of us."

"Hit the showers, both of you. You've done well."

"Thanks, Nitwing," Batgirl replied, throwing him a grin as she and Robin turned to walk out. His laugh could be heard down the hallway. Nightwing shook his head as he turned back to Connor, M'gann, Artemis and Wally, the latter of the two grinning at him.

"What?" he asked with a groan as he sat back down.

"Nothing, _Nitwing_."

"Wally, I swear-"

"Relax. I'm just messing with you."

* * *

"I have a mission for all of you," Bruce said to Dick, who looked up at him. "Suit up."

"Yes, sir," he replied, hopping out of his chair.

"You suit up as well," he told Jason, who followed Dick down to the cave. He sat down in his chair and turned the computer on, pulling up the files he was looking at.

"So, Jay passed training," Dick pressed after he finished changing, watching as Bruce turned around in his chair. "You said he could join the team."

He looked past Dick and to Jason, who was putting his suit on. He then turned back to Dick and rubbed his chin. "I don't know, Dick."

"He's better now, Bruce. He's not as bad as he was."

"He's still aggressive."

"Not as much. Barbara and I have been working with him and he's a lot better than he was. If he goes too far in the missions, we'll put him out."

He closed his eyes. "Alright, but if he goes too far, he's done. Are we clear?"

"Yes, sir," he replied with a nod.

"Jason," Bruce said, calling him over. He walked over to him. "I have some news for you."

"Yeah?" he replied, looking up.

"I promised Dick and Barbara that, after you complete your training, you would officially be allowed to join the team at Mount Justice."

"I get to join?" he asked, his eyes widening. Dick hid a smile.

"Yes, under Dick's supervision, of course."

"Congratulations, Jay," Dick said, putting his hand on Jason's shoulder. "You've earned it."

"In fact, I have a mission for all of you. Let's get going."

Dick grinned at Jason as they hopped on their bikes and drove off behind Bruce to the zeta tube. They parked their bikes into the garage and went through the tube to the cave.

"Are you ready for this?" Dick asked, and Jason nodded.

"Been ready."

"Batgirl's on her way. Let's tell the rest of the team."

Jason nodded, and they walked to the kitchen where Superboy, Miss. Martian, Wally and Artemis were waiting.

"My two favorite birds!" Wally said, grinning at them. Nightwing narrowed his eyes behind his mask.

"Well, we have some good news. Tell em, Rob."

Robin looked up and smiled. "I've been given permission to join."

"That's wonderful!" Artemis said, giving him a hug. "Congratulations."

"Welcome to the team," Connor said, shaking Robin's hand.

"Thanks, Superboy."

"Another birdie joining the team, huh? Don't worry, Nightwing, I'll take good care of him," Wally said, grinning at them as he walked behind Robin. Robin looked up at Nightwing for help.

"Don't worry about K.F. I'll deal with him," he replied, grinning down at him.

"Yeah, ok," he replied with a snort, and Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Welcome to the team, Robin," Miss. Martian said, handing him a brownie.

"Thanks."

"About time you showed up," Nightwing said, as Batgirl walked into the kitchen. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You just got ahold of me, Nitwing."

"BG! I get to join," Robin said, walking up to her. She ruffled his hair.

"I knew you were ready."

" **Everyone to the foyer."**

"Go ahead. I'll meet you in there," Nightwing told Robin, who nodded in agreement. He waited until everyone left before turning to Batgirl, who tilted her head to the side.

"Something wrong, bird-for-brains?"

"Keep an eye on Robin for me."

"Why?"

"I promised Batman that I would watch him, and if he went too far, I would pull him out. He's concerned."

"He'll be fine," she reassured him, placing her hand on his arm. "He has us."

"Yeah, he does," he replied with a grin, before putting his hand on Barbara's back and leading her out of the living room. They met with Batman and the rest of the team in the foyer.

"There are rumors that the light has new technology stored Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico. We need to get eyes on that equipment and see what it is. Nightwing, Robin, Aqualad, Miss Martian and Zatanna will be attending this mission. Since this is Robin's first mission, Nightwing, show him what to do."

He nodded. "You got it, Batman."

"Go ahead and move out."

They nodded. Nightwing and Robin turned to Batgirl, who threw them a smile.

"Sorry you can't come today."

"It's alright. You two have fun."

"We'll be back soon, Batgirl," Robin said, and she nodded before they both took off. Batman waited until they were gone before he started talking again.

"I actually have something the four of you can do for me."

"What is it?" Batgirl asked, and he turned to look at her.

* * *

"This is awesome," Robin said, looking around the bioship. Nightwing grinned at him.

"Welcome to the team."

"Next stop, the desert," M'gann said, and the bioship started to take off. They were pretty silent until the bioship finally landed, and they all got out.

"I've set up a mind link," M'gann said, and they nodded, Robin furrowing his brow in confusion.

"A what?"

" **A mind link, Robin,"** M'gann said in his head, and he jumped back but grinned at her.

"That's pretty cool."

" _Enough talking, Robin. Use the link,"_ Nightwing ordered, and he looked over and nodded at him.

" **Get the bug ready, Nightwing,"** Aqualad ordered.

" _M'gann,"_ Nightwing said, handing her the bug. _"I need you to get this on one of the men."_

" **On it,"** she said back before disappearing.

" _I don't know about you, but something doesn't feel right,"_ Zatanna said quietly.

" **I agree. Just keep a level head,"** Aqualad said, and she nodded.

Nightwing nodded to Robin, and they both grappled away. Zatanna and Aqualad turned to look at them, both of their faces dropping then they noticed they weren't there.

" **I hate it when they do it,"** they said together.

" _Did you plant the bug?"_ Robin asked Nightwing, who nodded in agreement.

" **Yes. We need to see if it's working."**

He pulled his gauntlet up and started typing on it, activating the bug. He then synced it to his comms unit.

" _I can hear voices. Recording to Batman."_

" **M'gann, can you see the equipment?"** Aqualad asked.

" _Yes. Looks like standard military equipment."_

" **What would they need that for?"** Robin asked.

" _A war, Rob,"_ Nightwing said. _"They want to start a war."_

" **There's also a bunch of submarines."**

" _Subs?"_ Nightwing pondered. _"Interesting."_

" **Zatanna?"** Aqualad asked, and they waited for a moment. **"Zatanna, do you copy?"**

" _Z!"_ Nightwing said, trying to get her attention.

" **I can't see her,"** M'gann said.

"Look what I found!" one of the men said, dragging Zatanna behind him. "Looks like the junior Justice League is back."

"Is she alone?"

"I didn't see anyone else."

"Then I doubt she's alone."

" **They have Zatanna,"** Nightwing said, looking down at her. **"Mission's blown."**

" _We need to get to her,"_ M'gann said.

" **Don't move,"** Aqualad said, and Nightwing swallowed as he looked down at her.

"Wakey, wakey," one of the guardsmen said, slapping Zatanna's cheek.

"What do you want?" she asked, glaring at him.

"What are you doing here? Where's the rest of your team?"

"Just me."

"I'm having a hard time believing you. Talk," he replied, pulling on her hair. She cried out.

Nightwing couldn't take it anymore.

"Nightwing!" Robin said, as he jumped down. Everyone jumped back.

"I would get away from her if I were you," he ordered, and everyone laughed.

"Nightwing! What a surprise."

Robin jumped down next to him, and Aqualad and M'gann joined next to them. They started attacked the guards, finding it difficult to keep up with them.

"Are you ok?" Nightwing asked, bending down next to Zatanna. She nodded.

"I'm fine. I don't know how they detected me."

He glanced over at Robin, who was fighting off one of the men. He then looked back at Zatanna and helped her up, watching as she stumbled for a minute.

"We need you here."

"I'm fine," she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He nodded, and they turned back to the rest, helping them fight the men off.

"You're really making me mad," Robin said, smashing his staff into one of the men.

"I hate this bird!" another man said, assisting the one that was attacking Robin.

"Back-to-back, Rob!" Nightwing said, as he and Zatanna ran over to him. She said a spell, and the rest of the men were tied up. Nightwing grinned at her.

"I love it when you do that."

"Isn't it a good thing you have me around?" she asked with a smirk. She then followed Aqualad to the building. Nightwing gestured his head to Robin, and they followed after her.

"Seems all clear in here," Aqualad said, leading the group.

"So, this is the equipment?" Robin said, tilting his head to the side. Nightwing pressed a button on the side of his domino mask and started recording.

"This is impressive," he said, circling around it.

"Annoying children!" someone said, before bullets started shooting at them. Nightwing grabbed hold of Robin and pulled him around the tank.

"Get your batarangs out," he ordered, and Robin quickly pulled them out, shooting them off at the man.

They quickly ran out from behind the equipment and started to attack back. Aqualad shot water off, and Robin used the moment of distraction to grapple up and knock the gun out of his hand. The man's hand wrapped around his neck, and he started coughing.

"Robin!" Nightwing said, throwing his batarangs at him. Aqualad shot off another beam of water, and he threw Robin down. Zatanna quickly said a spell, and carefully lowered Robin to the ground. M'gann ran over to him.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded, rubbing his neck. She helped him up and back over to the team.

"Self-destruct everything," a man in red said, and his partner quickly hit the self-destruct button before they turned out of the room.

" _Self-destruct sequence authorized."_

"Get out of here!" Aqualad said, and they quickly ran out of the building, avoiding more gunshots of other men who were still there. The building exploded, and they quickly ducked to avoid the explosion.

"That hurt," Nightwing remarked, standing up to stretch.

"Is everyone ok?" Aqualad asked, standing up as well.

"Fine," they echoed back.

"Well, Batman will be pleased," Zatanna said, and Nightwing and Robin groaned.

"No, he won't."

* * *

"We got it, Batman," Batgirl said, giving him the intel. "It was there like you said it was."

"Any trouble?" he asked, flipping through the folder.

"None. Surprisingly, it went well."

"You say that like you have no faith in yourself." She didn't reply, and he placed his hand on her shoulder. "You've done extremely well. Hit the showers and rest."

She nodded, and walked out of the room. She met with Artemis in the living room and sat down on the couch.

"You look exhausted."

"I am exhausted," she replied, plopping her feet on the coffee table. Wally and Connor joined them.

"That went a little easier than I thought it would."

"Too easy for my liking," Batgirl replied, and they nodded in agreement.

"I wonder how the other mission went," Artemis said.

"If it's anything like the others, probably not any better than usual."

"How are you?" Artemis asked her, placing her hand over Barbara's. "How's that Batlife of yours?"

She laughed. "Just dealing with two bird-brains and their tough bat mentor."

"Robin doing any better?"

"He's trying. He's trying so hard. I'm so proud of him."

"He'll get it," Connor assured her. "It just takes time."

"Hey, enough hero talk," Wally said, grabbing for the remote for the television. "I say we relax and enjoy some time to ourselves."

"Sounds great to me," Batgirl replied, turning around to take her cowl off. She quickly put her glasses on and turned back.

"Must be hard to keep your identity hidden," Connor said, and she nodded, fingering her cowl with her thumbs.

"If I had it my way, I would tell all of you. It's not my way."

"It's better to follow his orders."

"I know. It's hard sometimes, but he's taken me in and trained me. I'm not disobeying orders."

Wally flipped through the channels. "It seems like they've been gone for hours."

"Nightwing to the cave."

"Hey! We're watching TV here. No one wants to see your face on the screen."

Nightwing gave him a look. "Everyone here knows I'm better looking than you."

"Batgirl can attest to that. She knows what you look like."

"I'm not getting involved in this," she replied, taking a drink of her water.

"We got the intel we needed, but we had to bolt. We were discovered. We may have _accidently_ destroyed all of the equipment as well."

"Oh yeah. Accident," Wally replied, taking bites of his popcorn.

"We'll be back soon."

The screen disappeared, and they looked at each other.

"At least we weren't a part of that mission."

"We won't get lectured by Batman."

They watched TV until the rest of the team returned, looking exhausted. Zatanna had a bruise on the top of her head.

"How'd it go?" Batgirl asked, when they entered the cave.

"The usual," Nightwing replied, flashing her a grin. Robin walked up next to him. "He did really well."

"Good," she said, rubbing Robin's arm.

"What'd you do?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied with a shrug, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're a terrible liar, BG."

"I'm not lying."

"Nightwing. Aqualad," Batman said, calling them over. Nightwing groaned before he followed behind Aqualad. Batgirl turned back to Robin.

"Was it fun?"

"A lot of fun," he replied with a grin. "Wish you could have been there."

"Next time," she replied, rubbing his head. She looked over at Zatanna. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she replied, putting her fingers against the bruise. "Guy got me good."

"Doesn't look too bad. I'm just glad you're ok."

"I'm fine. I'm just hoping Batman won't lecture them for what happened."

"We're used to it," she replied, and Zatanna and Robin laughed.

"Way too used to it."

"Good work," she said to Robin before she walked off. Batgirl winked at him.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said, and she nodded before he strode past her.

"Little Robin's growing up," Artemis said, walking up to her.

"I know. He's becoming quite the young man."

"And Nightwing's really growing up," she said, checking him out.

"I see what you're doing," Wally hissed in her ear, and she smirked as she saw Batgirl checking Nightwing out.

"I'm not doing anything."

* * *

"Morning, Alfred," Jason said, taking a seat at the island dressed in his uniform.

"Good morning, Master Jason. Sleep well?"

"For a change," he replied dully, diving into his breakfast.

"I'm taking off, Alfred," Bruce said, buttoning his suit as he walked into the kitchen.

"You're not even going to have breakfast, sir?"

"No time. I have Jason's parent-teacher conference today, so I had schedule early meetings. I can take him to school today."

Jason groaned. "I forgot about that."

"Something I should know before I go later?"

"No," he replied honestly. Bruce eyed him, and he turned away.

"Alright. How's Dick doing, Alfred?"

"He says he was up most of the night. I gave him some medicine when I checked on him last, so he should be out soon."

"I called him in sick. He needs rest."

"I'll force him, sir."

"Finish up, Jason. We need to leave soon."

He nodded before turning back to Alfred.

"What's wrong with Dick?"

"Master Richard will not be going to school today," Alfred said, handing Jason his bookbag. "He has the flu."

"Bummer," he replied, finishing his breakfast. He then looked through his bag. "I need to get my book. I left it upstairs."

"Go get it. You need to leave soon."

Jason nodded, and he quickly ran back up to his bedroom to grab for his book. He then peaked his head inside his brother's room and saw him move his arm while letting out a small moan.

"You look like the living dead," he said, leaning against Dick's doorframe. He lifted his head and glared at him.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Not until 8:30," he replied, looking at his watch. Alfred walked up to him.

"Come now, Master Jason. It's time to get you off to school. Master Richard needs his sleep."

"Alright, Alfred," Jason said, walking out of the room.

"Try to get some rest, young sir."

"Thanks, Alfie," he replied, covering eyes with his arm. Alfred turned and walked door, closing the door behind him as he did so. Jason met Bruce downstairs, and they walked out of the manor and to Bruce's car. They started on the path to Gotham Academy, and Bruce noted how quiet Jason had been.

"You're not very talkative today, Jason," he said, turning his head to look at him.

"I don't have much to talk about."

"You look exhausted. Did you sleep well?"

He shrugged. "Well enough."

He knew that something was bothering Jason, but he decided to let it slide. When they finally arrived at the school, Jason bid him a goodbye before walking into the school, spotting Barbara the moment he did so.

"Morning," she threw him a smile, taking the cup he handed her. She took a long drink.

"Morning, Barbie."

"How's Dick feeling?"

He shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "He didn't look too good this morning when I saw him. He looked a little dizzy, actually."

"The flu's hitting everyone hard," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Fine. I haven't caught it-yet."

"Emphasis on 'yet'," she replied, squeezing his shoulder.

"Hang on, Barbie," he said, bending down to tie his shoe. He stood back up and turned around, slamming into another student as he did so.

"Ouch," the small boy said, landing on his backside as the papers and books he was holding fell around him. Barbara took the moment to get a good look at him. He was a small child, one she assumed was in the fourth or fifth grade. He had sharp black hair covering his head, and when he finally looked up, she noticed his sharp, blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry," she said, as she and Jason bent down to pick up the papers.

"All good," the boy replied, taking his bookbag off to put everything inside.

She noticed that name on one of the paper's. "Tim, huh?"

"Tim Drake, yeah."

"Sorry, Tim. Jason has a habit of not looking where he's going."

"Sorry," he replied with a shrug. Tim smiled.

"Again, it's all good. I should really be going."

"Have a good day," she said, watching as he nodded to everyone before strolling past. She narrowed his eyes.

"Something wrong?" Jason asked, looking up at her.

"I just feel like I've seen him before."

"You've probably seen him around school."

"Probably. C'mon, we need to get to class. We don't want to be late."

He nodded, and followed her down the hall.

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Wayne. Come on in."

"Thank you," he said, ignoring the looks from the other parents. He walked into the room and sat down at the table.

"I'm Julia Carol, Jason's math teacher."

"Nice to meet you," he replied, shaking her hand.

"When Jason was first enrolled here, I was shocked to hear about his background. I was expecting him to have a lot of trouble, but he succeeded and has been ever since. I can safely say that he'll do well in the eighth grade next year."

"But?" he said, after a moment of silence.

"Lately, he seems to be struggling. I don't know why he hasn't asked for help, but he hasn't."

"That's weird, because he does his homework with Richard and Barbara every night. They help him."

"It could just be that he's not understanding, especially since he's done well this point, but we do have a test coming up and I feel as though he may not be ready for it."

"Is this anything I can do?"

"Try to see if you can work with Jason. Maybe get him to talk about what he might be struggling with. Otherwise, Jason is a wonderful student. You should be very proud."

"I am," Bruce replied, flashing her a smile. "Thank you."

"Thank you for coming," she replied, shaking his hand.

He finished up with the rest of the conferences before he ventured off back to his office. He spent the next few hours there before returning home, taking the long way home.

Parking his garage in the car, he quietly got out and walked inside his house, spotting Alfred in the kitchen.

"Afternoon, Alfred."

"Good afternoon, sir. How was the conferences?"

"Good. Jason's math teacher says he's struggling, but she gave me some tips on how to help him."

"Master Jason will be just fine, sir. I know he will do well."

"So do I, Alfred. He just needs a little help. His other teachers say he's so one of the best in the class."

"Not bad for a child who was stealing-to-survive however many months ago."

"Dick and Barbara have really gotten him to come out of his shell, just like I knew they would."

"Not just them, sir," Alfred said, putting the towel into the sink. "Jason enjoys the time that he spends with you."

Bruce didn't reply, but he poured himself a glass of tea and took a drink from it. "The company is holding a gala for the Gotham City Police Department next month. I need the boys fitted for new suits, because they have both grown quite a bit since Christmas Eve."

"It will be done."

"Also, if Barbara needs anything as well."

He nodded his head. Bruce turned to walk out of the kitchen, and Alfred followed behind him.

"How's he feeling?" he asked, as he walked up the stairs to Dick's room.

"He's been resting most of the day. I think his latest medicine might have had an influence on that."

"Rest is good," he replied, looking inside Dick's doorframe at the sleeping teenager in the bed. "Jason doing fine?"

"He looked well this morning, but I'll keep an eye on him. Speaking of, it is time for me to go get them. If you would excuse me, sir."

"Of course," he replied, nodding his head. He closed Dick's door behind him before going to his study, where he stayed for about forty-five minutes before he heard voices coming in from the Entrance Hall.

"I won that, Gordon!"

"In your dreams, Todd!" she mimicked back.

"Jason!" he called, setting his paperwork to the side. He waited until he walked into his study. "How are you today?"

"Good," Jason replied, sitting on Bruce's desk.

"How much homework do you have tonight?" he asked his young charge, who shrugged in response.

"Not much."

"Well, I have some work to do in here. If you would like to, I'd be willing to help you with it."

"Really?" Jason asked, popping his head up. "Wait, today was parent-teacher conference, wasn't it?"

"Your math teacher says you're struggling. Why haven't you told anyone?"

"I'm fine."

"Don't do that," he replied, pulling a seat up next to his chair. "Jason, if you need help, you need to let someone know. We're all here to help you. You're not on your own anymore."

Jason didn't reply, so Bruce stood up and walked over to him. He placed his hand on his shoulder and forced Jason to look up at him.

"Let us help you. What are you struggling with?"

"This," he replied, pulling a folder out of his bookbag. He handed it to Bruce and watched as he opened it.

"I struggled with this when I went to Gotham Academy. Dick did as well. It's not easy, but everyone in this house has gone through this. So, sit down at that desk, I'll go get Barbara, and we'll all work on this together."

"Thanks, Bruce," Jason said, taking the folder back. He sat down at the desk and waited for Bruce and Barbara to return.

"Where's your book?" Bruce asked, and Jason pulled it and his class notes out. Barbara sat down next to him and threw him a smile, offering him encouragement.

As she worked on her own homework, she couldn't help but smile as she saw Bruce and Jason working on his homework together. When Jason would get frustrated, Bruce would calm him down and explain that the problem in a way that Jay understood.

At the end, Jason finally understood, and he was able to finish his homework.

"An afternoon snack," Alfred said, walking into the study.

"Is Dick awake yet?"

"Master Richard is still resting. You two may see him when he awakens," he said, putting a tray of food down in front of her and Jason.

"Thank you, Alfred," she said, taking hold of the sandwich triangle. She nibbled on it as she opened her math book, scratching her head with her pencil as she looked over her Algebra homework.

"Is this a good book?" Jason asked, pulling a library book out of his bookbag. She took it from him, smiling softly.

"The Giver? It's one of my favorites. I think you'll like it."

He looked over the book. "I have to read chapter one tonight."

"It's not that long. Won't take you much time."

"You can read it before we go out for patrol," Bruce replied, returning his own paperwork. Jason groaned but nodded, putting the book back into his bag as he did so.

"Is there something you need my help with?" Barbara asked, looking back over at him.

"Yeah, my science report," he said, pulling another folder out. "Can you check over it for me?"

"Of course," she replied, taking the report from him. She read through it for a few minutes, impressed by Jason's close attention to detail.

"I'd say that's a perfect report."

"Thanks," he said, taking it back. "Better get started on this book, then."

"Let me know if you need anything else," she said, turning back to her algebra homework.

They worked for another hour before Alfred walked into the study, grabbing their attention as he did so.

"Master Richard is awake if you would like to see him."

Barbara stood up. "Coming with?"

"Sure," he replied, following after her. They walked up the stairs and stopped outside of Dick's room, peeking her head inside to make sure he was awake.

"Hey," she said, walking into his room. "How do you feel?"

"Like the room is spinning," he replied, pressing the towel further down onto his eyes.

"Awe," she replied, stroking his hair. "You already look like you're feeling better."

"All I've done today is sleep."

"That's good. Get all the rest you can get."

"You look like crap," Jason said, looking down at his brother.

"I still look better than you do."

"Boys," Barbara muttered under her breath, a small smile plastered onto her lips.

"How was school?"

"Boring as usual," she replied, sitting on the side of his bed. "We've started poetry today."

"Yawn," he replied.

"I brought your homework home."

"Gee, thanks. That'll make me feel better."

"I knew it would." She reached over to his nightstand and picked a dixie cup and a bottle of medicine up. "Alfred said it's time to take your medicine."

He sat up in his bed and downed both, pulling a face as he did so. Barbara hid a smile.

"That's horrible tasting."

"It's medicine. It's not supposed to taste good," she replied, putting them both back on his nightstand. He sat against his headboard and looked over at Jason, grinning as he did so.

"You're not going to say anything to your sick brother?"

"You act like you're dying."

"He's always like this when he's sick," Barbara replied, placing her hand on his forehead. She gently rubbed her thumb across his head.

"Do not," he replied, sticking his tongue out.

"Your fever's going down. You should be up and about tomorrow."

"Dang. I liked the quiet," Jason said, shaking his head playfully.

"You've missed me."

"No, I haven't."

"Do you feel up to eating?" Barbara asked, breaking their conversation.

"Maybe some soup or something."

"Alfred said dinner's ready if you feel up to coming downstairs."

"Please. I need to get out of here," he replied, pushing his covers back. She helped him out of his bed and downstairs to the dining room.

"You should be resting, Master Richard."

"How many times have you told me this in my life, Alfie?" he replied back, sitting down in his chair. Barbara laughed behind her hand.

"Well, I made you some chicken noodles soup, sir," he said, placing the bowl in front of him. He placed three other plates in front of Jason, Barbara and Bruce.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked, looking over at him.

"Better than I was."

"You look better."

"I'm ready to be back out on patrol," he replied, taking another sip of his soup. Barbara reached over and rubbed his back.

"You need rest. You can go back to Nightwing when you're feeling better."

"Fine, mom," he grumbled, and she rolled her eyes before returning to her dinner. Jason flashed her a grin.

"You're not going on patrol until you're feeling better. End of discussion."

Dick didn't respond, but he was able to eat half of his soup before pushing it away. Everyone else finished their dinners before they pushed them away.

"Meet me down in the cave in ten minutes."

They nodded, and he walked out of the room. Barbara and Jason turned back to Dick.

"Get well soon, Dicky," Jason joked, sticking his tongue out at him.

"Shut up," he grumbled, giving him a look.

"You'll be back out there soon. Stop whining."

"You're whining," he mimicked back, and she gave him a look.

"C'mon, Jay, we need to change."

He nodded and followed her out of the room and down to the cave. Dick stared at them before he turned and walked into the living room, deciding he would watch TV until they returned.

* * *

"Robin? Are you ok?" Batgirl asked, when he hunched over the railing. She put her hand on his head. "You're burning up. You must have caught Nightwing's flu."

"I hate him," he replied, clutching his stomach.

"Batman, I'm going to take him home," she said, helping Robin onto her bike.

"Go ahead and head home yourself. I'll be fine tonight."

She nodded, and hopped on her bike, feeling his arms wrap around her stomach. She took off back to the manor and parked her bike in the cave, watching as he stumbled when he got off.

"Let me help," she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. She spotted Alfred at the computer. "He has the flu."

"I figured that would happen sooner or later," he said.

"I'll take him upstairs, Alfred," she said, helping him up the passageway. She met with Dick on the stairwell.

"Looks like you're contagious," she joked, helping Jason up the stairs.

"Sorry, Jay."

"I hate you, Grayson," he remarked, and she let out a small laugh as she helped him into bed.

"Get some rest, Jay."

He nodded, and she put a cold cloth onto his head before walking out of his room with Dick following behind her. He turned to her once he closed the door.

"Heading home, then?"

"Yeah. Bruce says he's fine for tonight."

"Looks like you'll be alone for school tomorrow."

"Maybe I can actually focus for a change," she joked, and he gave her a playful glare.

"Focusing on me, are you?"

"What? No!"

"That would be the only reason why you can't focus, then."

She rolled her eyes. "You're so egotistical."

He smirked. "Don't be like that, Gordon."

"I seriously need to get home. Both of you need to get some rest. I'll stop by after school tomorrow."

"Thanks, Babs," he said, clapping her shoulder. "See you then."

She nodded, and turned to walk back out. He leaned forward on the railing and watched as she walked out, a small smirk plastered on his face.

* * *

"You both are looking healthier than ever," Barbara said, as she pulled into the cave. Dick smirked at her.

"How'd you avoid it?"

"I have no idea," she replied, taking her helmet off to shake her hair out. "Hi, Jay. Feeling better?"

"Much better," he replied, smoothing out his suit. "Ready to kick some more butt."

"I've missed you two out there. Not the same dealing with grumpy on my own."

They laughed together.

"Thanks for taking one for the team."

"Always a pleasure," she replied with a smile.

Bruce walked down into the cave already in suit. "Are we ready?"

"Ready, Bruce," Jason said, putting his mask on.

"Nothing much on the scanner yet. Let's head into town and observe."

They nodded, and Jason got into the Batmobile while Dick and Barbara hopped on their bikes. They drove off to the city, and Dick looked over at Barbara, smiling softly as her hair whipped in the mild night's air.

Bruce stopped the car in an alley not far from A.C.E., and they pulled up beside him, parking their bikes beside the car. They both leaned up against their handlebars as they waited for Bruce to come out of the car.

"It's so beautiful out here tonight," she said, looking around. He nodded.

"STOP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

"You blew the moment, BG," he said before they hopped off their bikes. They quickly ran to the sound of the screaming and noticed a man with a hand around a woman's throat.

"Let go of her!" Nightwing ordered, and the man grinned.

"Like I'm afraid of a bunch of teenagers."

"It's not us you should be afraid of," Batgirl said softly, and the man furrowed his brow before a figure appeared from the shadows. "I warned you."

"I'm sorry!" the man said, falling to the floor. "Please don't hurt me!"

"You hurt an innocent woman," Batman said, sneaking up on. "Why shouldn't I do the same to you?"

The man crawled on his hands until his back was against the wall. Batman bent down and handcuffed him, calling Gordon through his gauntlet.

"Are you alright?" Batgirl asked, turning back to the woman. She nodded, running her fingers across her neck.

"How bad it is?"

"It's pretty bruised. Would you like an ambulance?"

"I'm alright. Thank you."

"You're safe now," Nightwing said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you," she said softly, wrapping her arms around herself.

They waited there with the woman until the police arrived. When the man was in custody they returned back to the vehicles.

"Let's get up top and observe," Batman said, and they nodded before pulling their grapnels out. They got on top of the building and waited on his signal.

"You haven't talked much tonight," Batgirl told Robin, who shrugged in response.

"Don't have much to say, I guess."

"You ok?"

"Peachy," he replied with a grin, and she smiled back at him.

"He's just grumpy lately," Nightwing said, gesturing his head towards Robin, who glared up at him in response.

"Shut up, Nightwing."

"See?"

"Ignore Nitwing."

"Rude," he replied, and a smirk plastered onto her face.

"You'll get over it."

"Batman, what is that?" Robin asked, pointing his finger across the town. Looking over, he noticed a pile of smoke appearing. He narrowed his eyes.

"Let's go check it out."

They hopped back down to the vehicles and drove off towards the smoke. The sounds of people screaming hit their eyes, and they quickly got out of the car and off the bikes and looked up, furrowing their brows as they did so.

"Batman!" Firefly hissed, looking down at them. "Why must you interrupt everything?"

"Stand down, Lynns!"

"You're an annoying pest!" he replied, shooting fire off at them. They quickly jumped out of the way.

"Rob! BG! Get those people to safety!" Nightwing ordered, and they nodded, rushing over to the burning building.

They quickly put their oxygen masks and looked through the building, using their detective vision to find the people still in here. Robin quickly spotted one, and they rushed over to her, helping her out of the building.

"Stay here," Robin ordered Batgirl before rushing back into the building.

"ROBIN!" she screamed back, but turned back to the girl when she whimpered in pain. "What hurts?"

"M-my arm," she replied, pointing to her arm, which held a giant burn spot. She looked at the girl's arm right as the firetruck pulled up.

"We'll take it from here, Batgirl," one of the firefighters said, running up to them. He bent down to look at the girl's wound.

"Batgirl and Robin saved my life," the girl replied, smiling up at her. Batgirl smiled down at her, her heart filling with pride.

She and Robin saved this girl's life.

"Robin!" she said suddenly realizing that he hasn't come back out yet. She turned her detective vision back on and tried to run back into the building, but was held back by another firefighter. "Let me through, please! Robin's in there!"

"We'll find him, Batgirl."

* * *

"Nightwing, shoot it!" Batman ordered, jumping out of the way of another fire burst. Nightwing quickly pulled out a canister and shot it off at Firefly, cursing to himself when Firefly moved to avoid it. He tried to pull another one out, but he was forced to move when Lynns threw something at him.

"What now?" he asked Batman, watching as Firefly edged closer to them.

"We need to try to get him away from his tech. Whatever it takes. Where's Batgirl and Robin?"

"Helping civilians, although I think the fire department's here now."

"Get them. We need a distraction."

He nodded, and he quickly maneuvered around to try to get back to Jason and Barbara. He quickly spotted them.

* * *

"Robin!" Batgirl cried, when he finally arrived outside with another trapped victim. He handed the victim to a firefighter before falling over, clutching his leg. She quickly rushed over to him.

"What happened?"

"I got caught," he breathed out.

"How bad?" she asked, accidently putting her hand close to the burn.

"Ow," he cried, grabbing for his thigh.

"I think your suit protected you pretty well," she replied, bending down to look at his thigh. "Just a small burn on your thigh."

"I got lucky," he replied, watching as she looked over the burn. "Where's Nightwing?"

"He's up ahead," she replied, gesturing her head. "He's helping Batman."

"I'll be alright. Go help them."

"I'm not leaving you," she replied, pushing his hair out of his face. "They can handle it."

"Batgirl!" Nightwing said, running up to them. "How is he?"

"He has a burn on his thigh, but he'll be just fine," she said, helping him sit up, grimacing when he hissed in pain.

"Just relax."

"I've been through worse," he replied with a grin, and she smiled back at him. "Look out!"

She quickly grabbed hold of him and moved him out of the way, looking down sadly at him when he cried out in pain. The fire started moving around them, and she looked up to see Firefly hovering over them.

"Batman, he's over here," she said through the comms before standing up. She quickly took out her batarangs and shot them off, watching as he avoided each one. Nightwing quickly ran up to her and pulled his rope out, trying to wrap it around him.

"We need to get him away from his tech."

"You're the best at getting attentions," she replied with a grin, shielding Robin with her body. He gave her a look, but a smirk was plastered over his face.

"Hey, fireboy!"

"You!" he hissed, pointing his gun at him.

"You look a little hot. You might want to try cooling down a little."

"You're going to be the one who needs to cool down!" he replied, pointing his gun at him. Batgirl looked over at Batman and nodded her head, quietly moving away from Robin and towards the firehose, grabbing it from the fireman as she did so.

"C'mon, I'm waiting!" Nightwing said, holding his hands out.

"Now," Batman said in her ear, and she quickly fired the water off, watching as he leaped from the building to try to tackle him. She thanked the firefighter before running back over to Robin, and they both watched as Batman and Firefly crashed to the ground.

"You ok?" Nightwing asked, rushing up to him.

"Fine. Help me get his tech off."

"You'll pay for this!" Firefly replied, cringing as Batman held him down while Nightwing took the tech off.

"How do you feel?" Batgirl asked, bending down next to Robin. He shrugged.

"I'm fine."

"Do you mind if I take a look?" one of the E.M.T.s said, and he nodded. The paramedic studied it for a moment. "Doesn't look bad. Let me dress it and you'll be on your way."

"Thank you," Batgirl and Robin replied, and they waited until he was finished before she helped him up.

"You're going to lecture me, aren't you?"

"I will, but not until you feel better."

"Thanks," he replied with a lopsided grin. She helped him over to Batman and Nightwing, and Nightwing wrapped his brother's arm around his shoulder.

"Can you walk?"

"Not well."

"Don't worry, Batman, I'll give him the lecture."

"I'm so looking forward to it," he replied, rolling his eyes behind his mask.

* * *

"Alright there, Jay?" Dick asked, clapping Jason's shoulder as he sat on the bed in the cave.

"I've had worse," he replied with a shrug.

"I don't even want to know. Good work tonight."

"Thanks," he replied, stretching his arms. "I'm beat."

"Might be best to get some rest, Master Jason. You'll heal up much faster that way."

"Go on ahead and go to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Cool," he replied. "Night."

"Night, Jay," he said, watching as he carefully got off of the bed and walked upstairs, Alfred following close behind him.

"When do I get to go driving again?" Dick asked Bruce, who turned to look at him.

"Have you logged your hours?"

"The few that I've gotten, yes."

"I'll take you out again soon."

"Thanks, Bruce," he replied, before taking his suit off. He changed into his pajamas and walked upstairs, ready to get some rest before school tomorrow.

* * *

"How's my two favorite boys?" Barbara asked, grabbing for the coffee cup Dick handed her. Jason grinned up at her.

"Better today, Barbie."

"I'm glad," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Here's my part of our poetry assignment," Dick said, handing Barbara a piece of paper. Jason snatched it. "Jay!"

"This is your version of poetry, Grayson?" he said, bending over laughing as he read through the paper. Dick snatched it back.

"Let me see it," Barbara replied with a smile, taking the paper from Dick. "This is really good."

"Thank you," he replied, giving Jason a look. He glared in response.

"I'm off to the seventh grade where I don't have to worry about poetry. Bye."

"Bye," they replied, watching as he walked off in the opposite direction. She turned back to him.

"This is really good, Dick. So romantic."

"Shut up," he replied with a blush, watching as she grinned at him.

"Oh, I'm enjoying this."

"That's because you enjoy my pain."

"C'mon, let's go to class. We can continue working on this."

"Did you hear about the gala?" he asked, as they started walking towards their English class.

"Dad told me about it last night. Apparently Wayne Enterprises is throwing it."

"Jay's so thrilled about wearing a suit again," he replied, and she let out a laugh.

"Oh, I bet he is."

"I'm actually looking forward it," he replied, and she glanced over at him, pushing a piece of her hair back behind her ear.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Why's that?"

"Just am," he replied with a shrug.

"Honestly, I'm looking forward to it, too."

"Yeah?" he asked, throwing her a grin. She nodded.

The bell rang, and they quickly entered their English classroom, sitting down next to one another as they did so.

Dick's poem was still echoing around in Barbara's head.


	11. Memories

"Morning, dad," Barbara said, putting the eggs onto the two plates as her father sleepily walked into the kitchen.

"Morning, pumpkin. Thank you," he said, grabbing for his plate. They both walked over to the kitchen table and sat down. "Tonight's the night of the ball. Are you ready?"

"It's a very important day for you, dad," she replied, taking a bite of her eggs. "I'm more than ready."

"We'll leave here at five. The gala starts at six, and dinner will be provided."

She nodded, taking another bite of her eggs. "I'll be ready."

"The majority of the GCPD, Fire Department and E.M.T.'s will be there tonight. It's going to be a packed house."

"You act like you're nervous."

"Have I ever been nervous?"

"There was a time or two."

He smiled. "You never cease to not make me smile, Barbara."

"I try," she replied with her own smile, taking a bite of her toast.

"This is really good," he said, chowing down his breakfast.

"Emily helped me with it," she replied, pointing to the door. Jim smiled.

"She is the best. She has taken such good care of you."

"She's really nice," Barbara replied. "And I know you gave her a key to come check up on me."

"I'm just worried, is all," he replied. "The key is only for emergencies."

"I thought we've been over this," she said.

"We have, but I am your father and I will not stop worrying about you. It makes me feel better to know that someone can keep an eye on you while I'm not here. Plus, she's been an excellent mother figure to you over the years."

She nodded. "She is a really good person. Maybe she should be your plus one."

"Are you trying to get me to start dating again?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"As much as I miss you and mom being together, she's not coming back dad. I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy," he replied. "Plus, it's a little late to ask her, isn't it?"

"Not if I already asked her for you," she replied quietly. He gave her a look.

"Barbara."

"C'mon, dad, Bruce is going to show up with a date. I think you should, too."

There was a knock on the door, and she quickly got up to open it. A woman with soft brown hair walked in, smiling softly.

"Good morning, Emily," Jim said, shaking her hand. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Oh, no, thank you. I ate with Barbara shortly you woke up."

"Thank you for helping her with breakfast."

"It's my pleasure. I enjoy spending time with this girl," she replied, fixing Barbara's ponytail.

"Barbara, why don't you go get cleaned up?" Jim said, and she nodded before turning to walk out of the room. He hesitated for a moment before turning back to her. "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you being there for Barbara. Ever since Barbara Senior left, I've tried, but she needs her mother."

"I have loved watching her grow over the years. I try to be there for her as much as possible."

"I heard she asked you to be my plus one for the gala tonight."

She laughed slightly. "She asked me the other day if I would consider going."

"I know this is last minute and everything, but would you like to go with us tonight?"

"I would love to," she replied with a soft smile.

"Yes!"

"Barbara!" Jim said.

"I'm getting in the shower!"

She laughed again. "She's cute."

"She likes to get into people's business," he replied, and she smiled.

"I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Me, too. Thanks for breakfast."

"No problem. It was all Barbara's idea."

"Of course it was. Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay for more? There's plenty of food here."

"I'm full, but thank you. I'll be back later to help Barbara with her outfit for tonight."

"Thank you," he said, and she nodded before turning to walk out. He smiled to himself as he turned to clean up the kitchen, thanking his daughter in his mind.

* * *

"Tonight is the ball for the GCPD. Make sure you're ready by five," Bruce told the boys, who nodded in agreement.

"We will be."

"Taking a date, Bruce?" Jason asked, and Bruce gave him a look.

"What's it to you?"

"Just curious."

"Yes. I'm taking Danielle Spencer."

"Is she pretty?"

"Why are you two so interested in my life?"

"Just looking out for you," Dick replied, and Jason nodded. Bruce shook his head.

"I feel like you both have something planned."

"Just looking out for you, Bruce."

"Uh huh," he replied. Alfred walked into the dining room. "Keep an eye on these two. They have something planned."

"Will do, sir," Alfred replied, picking up the empty plates.

"You act like we're bad children."

He looked at them but didn't say a word. Jason and Dick grinned at each other.

"Looks like a lovely day outside. I think it might be time to show who's the master, and who's trainer," Bruce said, putting his tablet down. Jason looked confused while Dick grinned.

"Two against one? Hardly seems fair."

"What are you talking about?"

"Basketball," Dick replied.

"You're so on, Bruce."

* * *

"Score!" Dick and Jason cried out, as the ball flew through the net. Bruce shook his head.

"You beat me fair and square."

"Knew it," Jason said, bouncing the ball on the court. Bruce stared at him for a minute before stealing the ball and running to the other net. "Hey!"

"You need to pay more attention to your surroundings," he replied with a grin, and Jason groaned before catching the ball from Bruce. Dick clapped his shoulder.

"Got to watch out for Bruce. He does the ninja thing in basketball, too."

Bruce's cell phone started going off, and he pulled it out. "It's Oliver. Got to take this."

They nodded, and he turned to walk away.

"Who's Oliver?" Jason asked, bouncing the ball.

"Oliver Queen. A friend of Bruce's. He owns Queen Industries in Star City."

"Got ya," he replied, throwing the ball through the hoop. Dick quickly ran up and snatched it away, grinning at Jason as he did so. "Give it back, Dick!"

"Come get it, shorty," he replied, spinning it on his finger. Jason ran up to grab for it, but Dick quickly took off down to the other one and dropped it through the hoop.

"I hope Barbara gives you another black eye."

"Don't be like that," he replied, grinning at him.

* * *

"You look very beautiful," Emily said, looking over Barbara.

"So do you."

"Do you have a date?" she asked, fixing a piece of Barbara's hair.

"No. I usually go to these things with Dick."

"He'll be very happy to see you," she said, smiling to her.

"He's always happy to see me."

"I remember when the two of you first met, and you would run up and down these halls like there was no tomorrow."

Barbara laughed. "We were very ornery children."

"I always told your father I would watch you if there was ever an emergency. I got to a couple of times, but he said you had a lot of fun at Wayne Manor."

"Yeah," she replied, placing her hand on her necklace. "I love going to your place, too, just so you know."

"I know. You should always have fun with friends." Emily turned to the mirror and pushed Barbara forward. "You look very beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, looking at herself in the mirror.

"Dick won't be able to take his eyes off of you." She turned around abruptly. "Yeah, I know."

"How long have you known?"

"I see the way you look at him. The way you talk about him. I see all of it."

Barbara looked away. "Is it that obvious?"

"No," she said, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You both have been friends for so long, you just make it seem like that's all it is."

She let out a deep breath. "It's just a crush."

Emily bent down so they were eye-to-eye. "If you ever need to talk, I am right across the hall. Day or night you come and knock on my door and I'll be there. Whatever you need."

"Thank you," she whispered. "That means a lot."

Emily looked at the bedside clock. "We need to finish up in here."

"I'm ready," she said, looking over herself in the mirror.

"So am I. Let's go find your father."

She nodded, and they walked out of her room, spotting Jim looking over his speech. He looked up, his mouth dropping open.

"You both look beautiful," he said, walking over to them. "Are we ready?"

"Yeah," they replied, and he led them out the door and down to the car.

* * *

"Jay?" Dick called through his door, rapping on it lightly. He opened it and spotted Jason at the mirror. "Are you about ready?"

"If I have to go to this thing," he remarked, tugging on his tie to loosen it.

"We both do, and it's for Barbara's father and the rest of the GCPD, firefighters and E.M.T.s. It's one night."

"You said that at Christmas Eve."

"And I warned you Bruce has a few of these things every year."

"Ok, I'm ready," he said with a sigh, following Dick down to the Entrance Hall. Alfred met them.

"Looking good, sirs," he replied, fixing Jason's collar. "Enjoy yourselves tonight."

"Don't worry, Alfie. There's going to be a lot of cute girls there for Jason to dance with."

He looked up at Alfred in worry. "Don't make me go!"

"It's out of my control, Jason," he replied with a laugh.

"Are we ready?" Bruce asked, walking down the stairs. They nodded. "Then we should be going."

* * *

"Whoa," Jason said, looking around. "Big place."

"Let's find our table," Bruce said, leading his date out in front of him.

"Looks like we're sitting with the Gordon's," Dick replied with a grin, spotting Bruce's name with Jim and Barbara's.

"I wonder when she'll get here."

"They're already here," Bruce said, gesturing to the podium at the front. Jim, Barbara, Emily and a few other people were standing up front. "Follow me."

They all followed him up to the stage. Dick and Jason flashed Barbara a smile, and she returned it, waving to them.

"Jim," Bruce said, shaking his hand.

"Hello, Bruce. Hello, boys."

"Commissioner Gordon," they echoed back, shaking his hand.

"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Wayne," one of the attendants said, and he fixed his tie before turning to the podium, tapping on the microphone softly.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome."

Dick looked over at Barbara, throwing her another smile as Bruce continued on with his speech. She threw him one back, waving to him discreetly.

"Without further ado, I would like to introduce Commissioner James Gordon."

Clapping ensured, and Bruce turned from the podium to give Jim a handshake.

"Good luck, dad," Barbara whispered, giving her father his speech. He smiled at her before turning to the podium.

"Welcome, everyone," Jim said, waiting for the room to quiet down before continuing. "I would like to thank the Wayne Foundation for generously supporting this event tonight in honor of all of the Gotham City Emergency Management."

They listened in on his speech. Emily put her hand in Barbara's shoulder, and she smiled up at her, feeling happy that she came with them tonight. Her father concluded his speech, and clapping ensured around the building.

"Good speech, dad," Barbara said, giving him a hug.

"Thank you, pumpkin," he replied, hugging her back. They waited until the other officials had finished their speeches before everyone moved to their tables.

"Hello, Jim," Bruce said, shaking his hand. "Barbara."

"Bruce. Dick. Jason. This is Emily Violet. She's my date for this evening."

"Nice to meet you," Bruce said, shaking her hand.

"Nice to see you again, Emily," Dick said, shaking her hand as well.

"You both have gotten so big," she said, looking between Dick and Jason.

"This is Denise. She's my date for this evening." They shook her hand. "Shall we?"

They sat down at the table and watched as the servers put their appetizers in front of them. Barbara smiled as Jason dove right in.

* * *

"Shall we dance?" Bruce asked, holding his hand out to his date after all of the courses were finished. She smiled.

"I would love to."

Dick and Jason grinned at each other as they stood up and walked out to the dance floor. Barbara gave them a look.

"What did you two do?"

"Nothing!" they replied.

"You're worse than Bruce," Dick said, shaking his head. Jim and Emily smiled.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her, and she nodded, taking his hand. Barbara smiled as they walked off.

"What did _you_ do?" Dick asked, giving her a look.

"Nothing," she replied.

"Hi," a short, brunette-haired girl said, walking up to the table. She stood beside Jason. "My name's Melissa."

"Jason," he replied, shaking her hand.

"I was wondering if you would like to dance?"

"Er, sure," he replied, getting out of his seat. Dick hid a grin as he took hold of the girl's hand and led her out to the dance floor.

"You must be proud," Barbara said, unable to hold back a smile.

"I knew he'd come around sooner or later."

"He is almost fourteen," she said, taking a sip of her drink.

"And we'll be sixteen this year," he replied, and she nodded.

"Can you believe that?"

"I can't, actually," he said, looking away from her. "Seems like just yesterday we became friends."

He stood up and held his hand out to her, pausing for a moment until she finally put her own in it. She stood up, and he led her out to the dance floor, placing his hands on his waist as he did so.

"How many times over the years have we danced together?" she pondered, looking around at all the other dancers. Her eyes fell to Jason and Melissa, and she hid a smile as she watched them dance to the song together.

"I don't know," he replied, smiling at her. "I've lost count."

"So have I."

"I thought you remembered everything," he teased, and she swatted his shoulder playfully.

Their minds drifted off to the time at the manor, almost eight years ago, where they sat beside the pond.

* * *

"What is this place?" Barbara asked, looking out the window.

"This is Wayne Manor. This is where Bruce Wayne lives," Jim said, pulling into the manor. "This is where Dick is going to live from now on."

"Dick?" she said, and he nodded.

"Bruce adopted him."

"Is he here?"

"He's here, but he probably wants to be alone, sweetheart. He's been through a lot."

She didn't say anything. The car came to a stop, and they both stepped out. They walked up to the door, and he rang the doorbell.

"Hello, Commissioner."

"Hello, Alfred. This is my daughter, Barbara."

"Nice to meet you, young lady," he said, shaking her hand.

"You, too, Alfred."

"Please, come inside. Master Bruce is waiting for you in the living room."

He led them to the living room, where Bruce was waiting for them. He stood up.

"Nice to see you again, Jim."

"You, too," he replied, shaking his hand. "You remember my daughter, Barbara?"

"Of course I do. Nice to see you again." She shook his hand. "She's getting big."

"Don't I know it," Jim said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She looked away, and that's when she noticed.

Through the window, she could see Dick sitting on the bench in front of the pond.

"Dad? Can I go for a walk?"

"Stay close to the manor."

"I will. Thank you."

He nodded at her, and she turned and walked out of the room, retracing her steps back outside. She walked around the manor and to the backyard, spotting his back as he stared out over the pond.

"Hi," she said softly, and he jumped up and turned around. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok," he replied, sitting back down.

"Do you remember me?"

"Barbara," he said. "You were the girl at the police department."

"Yeah," she said, walking up to him. "Can I sit with you?"

He nodded, and she sat down next to him.

"Do you want to talk?"

"No," he said softly.

"I'll talk," she said, and a small smile somehow fell onto his face. "My name is Barbara Joan Gordon. I go to Gotham Academy, and I spend my nights with my father at the police department."

"Do you have any friends?"

"Not many," she said, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

"My name is Richard Grayson. I was born in the circus," he said, looking down. "There were a few other children there, but I mostly hung out with my parents and the other adults there."

"Was it fun?"

He didn't say anything, but a tear slipped down his cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and brought him in for a hug, feeling sad when he started crying on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

After a few minutes of crying he pulled back, wiping his cheeks off as he did so. "I miss them."

"Hey," she said, getting his attention, "look at that."

He looked over to where she was pointing to, watching as a butterfly flew around. He stood up and walked over to it, watching as it flew away from him. She followed behind him, grabbing hold of his hand as she did so.

"You're not alone, you know. I'm here for you."

"Thank you," he replied, turning to face her.

"I was wondering where you snuck off to, young sir," Alfred said, putting a tray of milk of cookies down on the bench.

"She's very nice, Alfie," Dick replied, watching as she blushed and looked away.

"Do you mind if I take a picture? I am very sentimental."

"Sure," they replied, moving to sit on the bench again. They snuggled close to one another, and smiled as Alfred took the picture.

"A picture with my best friend," he replied, throwing her a grin. She smiled back, wrapping her arms around him to give him a hug.

* * *

"That seems like so long ago," Dick said, and she nodded against his shoulder.

"Now we're teenagers in high school, and you have a little brother to care for."

He looked over at Jason, who was still dancing with Melissa. He hid a smile as he turned his attention back to Barbara.

It was almost eight years ago when he met this amazing girl dancing with him.

He couldn't believe it.

Through all the holidays, all the birthdays, all the summer camping vacations and all the sleepovers, it was always them. The two peas that could never be broken.

* * *

"Hi, son," Jim said, standing up when Dick and Alfred walked into the room.

"Hi, Mr. Gordon."

"She looks like she's feeling better."

"She's much better. She hasn't been awake much, but the time she has been awake we've been talking."

"Richard here was wanting to see her. I hope it's ok."

"Absolutely. She'll be thrilled to know he was here."

She moaned, and he gently put his hand on her head. "She's been having a hard time with the anesthesia."

"Has she been loopy?" Dick asked, and he chuckled before his phone started to go off.

"If you both would excuse me," he said, pulling it out. He then walked out of the room. Dick sat on the edge of her bed, watching as she moaned again.

"Hiya, stranger," he said, when Barbara finally opened her eyes. She threw him a smile.

"Dick! Alfred!" she cried out, carefully sitting up in her bed.

"How are you, Miss. Gordon?" Alfred asked, putting the flowers onto her end table. She looked over, her eyes lighting up at the lilies in the vase.

"I'm much better now."

"And I'm sure you have a cool looking scar," Dick said, grinning at her. She laughed.

"Hopefully not. Thank you for the beautiful flowers."

"Master Richard remembered you like lilies."

"They're my favorite," she said, looking back over at them.

"Can I get you anything?" Dick asked.

"I'm good, thank you."

Alfred's phone went off. "That's Bruce. I'll be right back."

They nodded, and waited until he turned to walk out of the room before turning back to one another.

"You didn't have to come see me."

"You kidding? It's not every day my best friend is in the hospital."

"I won't be much longer. Hopefully I can go home soon."

"Well, I brought you something," he said, handing her a book. "Your dad said it's your favorite one."

"Thank you," she said, taking it from him. "I've been so bored here."

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Much better now that you're here," she replied, and he let out a small smile as he grabbed hold of her hand, squeezing it lightly.

* * *

"Bruce!" a man said, walking up to him. He eyes furrowed in confusion.

"Tommy Elliot? Is that you?"

"In the flesh," he said, grinning at him. "Long time no see, man!"

"I know," Bruce replied, taking the glass from him. "How have you been? I heard you passed Medical School and are a surgeon in Pennsylvania."

"I did. Been working there for quite a while now."

"Congratulations," he said, raising his glass.

"Thank you. How have you been? I heard you're a father now."

He laughed slightly. "I've adopted two boys. One's fifteen and one's thirteen."

"Are they here?"

"Over here," he said, walking over to them. Dick pulled away from Barbara while Jason walked up to them. "Dick, Jason, this is Thomas Elliot. He's a friend of mine. Tommy, this is Richard Grayson and Jason Todd."

"Nice to meet you," they echoed, shaking his hand.

"Likewise."

"And this is Barbara Gordon. She's the daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon."

"Nice to meet you, little lady. Your father's done a wonderful job in this city."

"I agree," she replied with a smile, shaking his hand.

"Let me get you another drink, Tommy," Bruce said, wrapping his arm around his shoulder. "On me."

"You haven't changed much, have you?" he asked, a grin plastered on his face as they walked away. Jason turned to Dick and Barbara.

"Do you know him?"

"No," Dick replied, shaking his head. "I've never even heard of him."

* * *

"Commissioner Gordon! I have a question for you!" a woman said, walking up to them. "Might I have a word with you?"

"And you are?" he asked, as he, Emily and Bruce turned around.

"My apologies!" she ripped off her jacket. "Harley Quinn at your service!"

The doors busted open, and several men with guns rushed in, shooting them at the ceiling.

"What's going on?" Barbara asked, hearing the gunshots.

"Somebody's in here," he said, covering Barbara and Jason with his body. A guard walked over and pushed him out of the way, grabbing hold of Barbara after he did so.

"Let her go!" Jason said, and the gunman punched him in the stomach. Another walked up to them.

"Babs!" Dick cried out, trying to rush towards her but getting smacked in the head with a gun instead. He fell to the ground.

"Mista J!" Harley called out, dancing around. "We're ready for you!"

"Thank you, Harley!" he said, walking into the ballroom with two men following behind him.

"Here you go, sir," he said, giving Barbara to Joker.

"BARBARA!" Jim called out, only to be held back by Bruce.

"Jimbo, Jimbo," Joker said, pushing Barbara's hair back. "What a pretty girl you've got here."

"Let her go, Joker," he begged.

As soon as the guard was out of sight, Dick quickly pulled out his phone and hit the emergency justice league number, looking over at Bruce as he did so.

"You alright?" he asked Jason, who slowly crawled over to him.

"I hate that clown freak."

"Just relax," he said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Help's on the way."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Too many guards. We'll be discovered."

"Shut up!" the guard said, hitting both of them with the gun.

"Ah, a ball for all of the lovely G.C.P.D. officers, and Harley and I weren't invited!"

"What is it you want, Joker?" Jim asked.

"Mayham! Casos! That's all I ever want!"

"Just let my daughter go."

"Oh, right! Carrot-top here and I are going to have a little fun." He pulled her away, still holding the gun to her head. "You see, I have a vision for Gotham. A vision for a better future."

"What future would that be?" Bruce asked, and he turned to him.

"Is that billionaire Bruce Wayne?" Harley asked, squinting to look at him.

The doors busted opened, and Barbara used the moment of distraction to break free of Joker's grasp and run back over to her father. A streak went by, followed by a man clad in green using arrows.

"Joker!" Batman said, falling down from the ceiling. "This ends now."

"Batsy! I was wondering if you were ever going to come to the party!"

"Missed me!" Flash said, avoiding the gunshots. "And now I have your guns!"

He threw them all into a pile, watching as Arrow tied all of the man up. Batman quickly took Joker down, watching as Arrow and Flash both walked up to Harley Quinn.

"Now, Harley!" Joker said, watching as she reached over and pulled a switch. The lights went out, and when they finally came back on, Joker and Harley were gone.

"Damn it!" Jim said, looking around. He turned to his Lieutenant. "Put on an APB on Joker and Harleen Quinzel!"

"Right away, sir."

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, looking around. They nodded. He turned to Batman, who vanished. "I hate it when he does that."

"Dick! Jason!" Bruce said, running up to them.

"Barbara," Jim said, giving her a hug. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Just shaken up," she said, pulling away from him.

"Are you boys alright?" Jim asked, as they walked up to Dick and Jason.

"We're fine, commissioner."

"Are you sure?" Bruce asked, watching as Jason clutched his stomach.

"Fine," he replied bitterly, rubbing it.

"Can't believe we lost Joker."

"You'll find him, dad," Barbara said, grabbing for his hand.

"I'm glad you're ok," he said, pulling her in close to him. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"If you have to go out, I can watch Barbara tonight," Emily said, placing her hand on Barbara's shoulder.

"I would really appreciate that. I don't want her being alone."

"I'll be fine, dad," she said with a sigh.

"Just do this for me, alright?" he asked, and she nodded. "Thank you."

"Let's go ahead and get you home," Emily said, and Barbara nodded.

"Let me say goodbye."

She nodded, and Barbara turned back to the boys. "I'm not going to be able to come out with you tonight."

"It's ok. You need a night off anyway."

"I'll catch you both tomorrow," she said, giving them hugs. She then turned and followed Emily out the door.

* * *

"Thanks for covering for me," Batman said, walking up to his clone. The clone changed, and J'ohnn stood in its place.

"Anytime. I'm sorry I lost The Joker."

"Not your fault. We'll find him."

"Any ideas on where he may be?"

"No," Batman replied, looking down at Nightwing and Robin, "but he has something planned, and we need to find him before he gets to execute it."

"I guess you were right when you said we should be here," Green Arrow said, walking up to him. "We weren't far from the hall when we got Nightwing's signal. I had Artemis and Kid Flash watching the outside of the building, but they said they spotted nothing. Kid even did a few laps."

"There was a trap door in the hall. They escaped underground."

"That makes more sense," Kid Flash said, as he stood next to his mentor.

"We appreciate all of you helping, but we've got this covered."

"Always a pleasure, Batman," Green Arrow replied with a grin, and Nightwing couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Batgirl looked out over the city, letting out a soft breath as the cool spring air began to hit her. The late March night felt good against her suit, compared to the last few months of freezing cold temperatures and snow.

"Yo, BG!"

"Robin," she said with a smile, turning to face him. What are you doing here?"

"Coming to find you, of course," he replied, walking up to her.

"Just me and you tonight, huh?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips as she looked down at Robin. He grinned up at her.

"Wingnut's at the cave. You, me, and a private date with Gotham."

She smiled at him. "You know I'm two years older than you, right?"

"Age is all but a number, Barbie," he replied, kissing her hand. She ruffled his hair.

"Girls are going to fall at your feet, aren't they?" He grinned at her. "C'mon, you little flirt. We need to meet Bruce by Wayne Enterprises."

They hopped down from the building and climbed onto her bike. She started to speed off towards the Clock Tower, spotting the Batmobile not far from it.

"Think he's grouchy tonight?" Robin asked, hopping off of the bike. She hid a smile.

"When isn't he grouchy?"

"Touché," he replied, throwing her a grin. They pulled out their grapnels and grappled up to the top of the building, spotting Batman waiting for them.

"You're late," he said, turning towards them.

"Sorry," they echoed back, looking down at the ground.

"What's the plan, boss?" Robin asked, walking up to him.

"Look down below and tell me what you see."

They looked over the edge and spotted several men filling a truck with boxes. Batman leaned down next to them.

"They've been loading these boxes up for the last ten minutes. I'm not sure what they're for, but we need to stop them."

"So can we go down there and kick some butt?"

"Patience," Batman said, looking over at him. "The more you observe, the more you can figure out the situation around you. In the case, we listen to their conversation and observe what they're doing and figure out their next course of action."

He pulled out a box and turned it on, and voices started to carry through it.

" _Hurry up, already, before the Bat shows up."_

" _You try carrying all of this stuff!"_

" _Shut up."_

" _Hurry up already!" one of the men called, looking between them. "Riddler's waiting!"_

"Riddler, huh? Guess he finally got out of Arkham," Robin remarked.

"If that's the case, then he's setting up some kind of trap. Whatever those barrels are for, he's going to use them for it."

"Can't we put a stop to this already?"

"Oh ye of little patience," Batgirl said, rubbing his head.

"I'm just realistic, Batgirl."

"Ok, Robin, I want you covering the north side. Batgirl will take the south side, and I'm going to do the aerial attack."

They nodded, and moved to take position. Waiting for the moment to strike, they waited until the men turned around before attacking, watching as Batman flew down from above. They quickly took down their men while Batman cornered one up against the wall.

"Where is Nygma?" he asked, pushing the man up against the wall.

"I-I don't know! We're just the second guys! There was a drop point where we were going to take all of this stuff to his personal guards."

"Where's the drop point?"

"Kelly's Garage by Main Street! I swear that's all I know!"

"Thanks," he replied, before knocking him out. "Have you secured the containers?"

"Just about," Batgirl replied.

"As soon as these men are taken in we're heading to the garage."

They nodded, and pulled out their grapnels out to climb back up to the top. They waited for a few minutes until the police cars showed up before returning to their vehicles and driving off. They arrived not far from the garage and parked.

"Doesn't look like anyone's here," Robin said, looking around.

"Just because it doesn't look like anyone isn't here, doesn't mean that they aren't. Secure the perimeter."

They nodded, and used their grapnels to fly up to the top of the building. When everything was cleared out, they entered the building and took out the few men waiting in there.

"Stay here. I'm going to check on something."

They nodded and watched as he walked to the other room. Turning to Batgirl, Robin grinned up at her.

"What are you up to?"

"Admit it, Batsy. It's been a fun night."

"Totally fun," she replied, shaking her head. A small smile lit her face.

"I knew I'd get you to come around."

"Shh," she said, putting her finger up. "I think I hear something."

Robin quickly pulled his staff out and smashed something behind Batgirl's shoulder. She turned around and saw a man standing there, moaning in pain. She quickly pushed Robin out of the way and did a roundhouse kick to another man's face, watching as he pulled a knife out in response as his nose began to bleed.

"Man, I take one night off and everything goes wrong," a voice said, and batarangs flew out to strike the men in the arms. They cried out in pain, and Batgirl and Robin took the moment of distraction to quickly take them down.

"You guys can't do anything without me, can you?" Nightwing asked, leaning against the railing. They gave him a look.

"And here I thought we would have a quiet night," Robin said, shaking his head. Batgirl smiled.

"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you were taking a personal night."

"Yeah, well, it didn't go too well," he replied, flipping over the railing to jump down to them.

"I'm sorry," she replied, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll get him to come around," he said quietly, nodding his head slightly. "What have I missed?"

"We're on Riddler's trail, but the intel we were given was nothing more than a joke. Batman found a clue and went to investigate, and that's when we were attacked."

"Sounds like fun," he replied, fixing his glove. "Don't count me out."

"Never do," she replied, throwing him a grin. Robin shook his head.

* * *

"Morning," Dick said, walking into the kitchen. He grabbed for a piece of toast.

"Morning, Master Richard. I have your breakfast."

"Thanks, Alfred," he said, taking a seat at the island. Jason sat next to him, looking over a piece of paper. "What's you got there, Jay?"

"My English paper," he replied, refusing to look up.

"It's Saturday," he said, taking the paper from him. Jason reached up and tried to grab for it.

"Dick! Give that back!"

"It's _Saturday_. No school today."

"And this is due on Monday," he replied, snatching the paper back.

"C'mon, let's head to the cave today."

"Sure," he replied, relooking at his paper. Dick shook his head.

"Where did we go wrong, Alfie?"

"Leave him alone, young sir," Alfred replied, putting the dishes into the sink. "Master Jason is doing very well and trying his hardest."

He didn't reply, but he took a drink of his orange juice as he read through his paper. Dick shook his head again.

"Barbara's mini-me right here."

"Will it shut you up if we go to the cave?" he finally responded, glaring at Dick.

"There we go. Hurry up so we can get going."

He pulled his phone out and texted Barbara before he finished his breakfast. When Jason was finally ready, they hopped onto their bikes and drove off to the booth, racing one another on the way there. They parked their bikes in the garage and used the zeta to get to the cave.

"Any missions planned for today?" Robin asked, looking up at him.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Hi, Nightwing, Robin," M'gann said, walking up to them.

"Hey, M'gann," they echoed.

"How are you both today?" she asked, as they walked into the living room. They shrugged.

"We're hoping for a mission today," Robin replied, and she nodded.

"Did Batman say anything?"

"No, but he doesn't really like to talk," Nightwing replied, cracking his fingers. Robin nodded in agreement. She smiled. "Is anyone else here?"

"Zatanna's in her room, but everyone else is out."

"I thought it was a little quiet in here," he replied, looking around.

"Where's Batgirl? I thought you three were stuck like glue."

"I dunno. I texted her, but she hasn't texted back."

"I'm here," she replied, walking into the living room. "I know you two can't do anything with me."

"Took you long enough."

"Crybaby," she replied, placing her hands on her hips.

"Hi, Batgirl," M'gann said, giving her a hug. "Any trouble with these two?"

"No," she replied with a smile. "I know how to handle them."

"We're still trying to figure out how to get her to shut up," Nightwing said, and she turned to glare at him.

"Have I ever told you how much I hate you?" she asked, turning to face him.

"Countless times, yeah."

"Hello, everyone," Zatanna said, walking into the room.

"Hey, Z," Nightwing said, flashing her a grin.

"Hello, everyone," Black Canary said, walking into the room. "How are we today?"

"Good," they echoed back, watching as she took her jacket off. Tula and Garth walked into the room. "Today I plan on working with all of you since Batman does not have an assignment for you, especially our newest members. Let's see. Zatanna, let's pair you with Robin. M'gann let's pair you with Tula. Nightwing, I want you to go with Garth, and Batgirl will be my partner."

She walked up next to Batgirl, who looked at Nightwing in concern. He winked at her.

"Don't be scared, BG. Canary's nice. She just has a mean scream."

"Thank you, Nightwing. Alright, here's what we're going to do. I want you to spar with your partner. Just spar. Use any powers or abilities that you have. Let's do that for a few minutes then I'll change it up."

They nodded and turned to their partners. Batgirl turned to Black Canary, swallowing slightly.

"Are you worried?"

"No," she answered honestly.

"Why? Like Nightwing said, I have a mean scream."

"Just because you have powers doesn't make you any more powerful than me."

She smiled. She then opened her mouth and cried, watching as Batgirl jumped out of the way and pulled out some of her batarangs. She fired them at her, watching as she maneuvered around to avoid them. She then reached up and threw a kick to her stomach, watching as she let out a small cry and grabbed for it. Batgirl took her moment of opportunity to try and knock Black Canary to the ground, but after a moment she found herself on the ground.

"Ow," she said, grabbing her side.

"Are you alright?" Black Canary asked, bending down to look at her. Batgirl took a moment before she kicked her and managed to flip her over.

"That's the oldest trick in the book," Canary said, getting up when Batgirl helped her. "That may work for me, but that will definitely not work for your opponent."

"But it worked for you," she replied with a smile.

"Touché." She then turned back to everyone. "That's enough of that. We're going to change things up this time. We're all going to come together and we're all going to fight one another. Nightwing, Zatanna, and Tula will be on one side. The other side will be Batgirl, Robin, M'gann and Garth. Let's see how you work as a team. Get in stance. Go."

They all started attacking one another, and Black Canary watched as both sides fought as hard as they could. After another few minutes she put a stop to it, watching as everyone tried to catch their breaths.

"Take a break for a few minutes, then we'll regroup."

They nodded, and Robin followed Batgirl to the kitchen. When she knew they were alone, she grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator and turned to him.

"You've done good today."

"Thanks," he replied, throwing her a grin. "Worried about me?"

"Maybe just a little," she said, pushing a piece of his hair back. "Although, I do have to admit that you've done so much better since you've started meditating."

"I hate that stuff," he replied, giving her a look. She laughed.

"You hate everything."

"I don't hate you."

"Awe, I'm honored. I am serious, though. You are working hard and I'm very proud of you."

"I try," he replied with a shrug. He then dropped his head. "I overheard Batman saying that he'd bench me if I was still aggressive."

She pressed her lips together, looking over at Nightwing, who was leaning against the doorframe. She then smiled at him, bending down so they were eye-to-eye. "Don't let that bother you. Do you really think Nightwing or I would let that happen? We have worked so hard together to make sure you stay here."

"You belong here," Nightwing said, walking up to them. "BG and I will do whatever it takes to make sure you stay here. Don't worry about being benched."

"And if I am?" he asked quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Nightwing said again, throwing him a grin. "Batman didn't want Batgirl going out there, and we both fought until the end of the world. Look where she is now."

She smiled at him. "Trust us."

"Let's go, you three," Canary said, and they walked back out.

* * *

The ride to Wayne Manor was a peaceful one. The moon was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. One of the rarer moments when the weather actually corporates in Gotham.

She opened the entrance to the cave and drove down into it, parking the bike once she was inside.

"Barbara!" Jason said, rushing up to her. She threw him a smile.

"Hey, kiddo. Where is everyone?"

"Dick's taking forever to get ready. Bruce is upstairs with Alfred."

"Well, I'm going to grab a water before we go," she said, getting off of her bike. He followed behind her as they walked up the passageway to the manor.

"Boo!"

"Dammit!" she said, punching the person. Dick fell to the ground, rubbing his face as he did so.

"'Ice ot," he replied.

"Dick! What were you thinking?" she asked, helping him up. Jason was grinning beside her.

"Did you just try to say nice shot?"

"Jay, will you go get him an ice pack for me?"

He nodded and walked out of the room. Dick rubbed his cheek.

"Why would you scare me like that?"

"I was trying to surprise you," he replied, rubbing his cheek. Jason returned and handed him the ice pack, still grinning.

"Barbara beat you up."

"Shut up," he said, taking the ice pack from Jason. He pressed it to his cheek.

"First a black eye and now a blue cheek."

"I've always told people that you torment me."

She smirked. "And who would do it if not for me?"

"Him," he said, pointing to Jason. "You've already made him your mini-me."

The smirk didn't leave her face. "Got to have a partner-in-crime."

"Uh huh," he replied, lowering the ice pack. "Bruce needs to adopt another one. I'm outmatched here."

"You two drive me up the wall the way it is," Bruce replied, walking past them.

"And she doesn't?" he asked, pointing to Barbara.

"She's my favorite."

"Whatever," Dick replied, rolling his eyes and he put the ice pack back onto his face.

"Suit up. We need to move."

They nodded, and the boys went down to the cave while Barbara walked into the kitchen, grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. She then took a sip of it, watching as Alfred put some more plates into the sink.

"Do you need any help, Alfred?" Barbara asked.

"I'm all good, Miss. Gordon. Here. The boys seemed to have devoured it, but there is one cookie left."

"Thank you," she replied with a laugh, taking a bite of the cookie. "Must be hard to feed two teenage boys."

"They do consume a lot of food between the two of them," he replied, and she laughed again. "You better get down to the cave."

She nodded, and traveled back down to the cave, spotting Bruce putting his cowl on. She sat down in the chair as she waited on Dick and Jason to come out, tapping her foot lightly on the ground.

"Jay, can you breathe?" Barbara asked, looking at how tight Jason's suit was getting on him. He shrugged.

"I'm fine."

"I think it's time we updated your suit again."

"I'm fine," he replied, pressing his hands to his chest.

"Dick, do you have a bigger suit?" she asked, looking down at Jason.

"I do, but I don't think it's going to fit him. He's got a different build than I do."

"Might be time to make you your own suit," Bruce said, looking down at him. "We'll get started on it."

"Sweet," Jason replied, looking down at his suit. "Are we ready?"

"Just about," Bruce replied, pulling something up on the computer. "Jason, I hate to ask you this, but do you recognize this area?"

Jason walked up, furrowing his brow as he looked at the picture. "Looks like the corner of Fifth and Hayword."

"Was this a popular hangout spot?"

"For a while," he replied, crossing his arms. "A lot of people hung out there to get drugs."

"Police reports are showing a spike of people hanging around there. They attempted to investigate, but everyone took off with no trace."

"Sounds like a simple drug problem, Bruce," Dick said, furrowing his brow. "Unless you think otherwise."

Bruce looked up at them, and they knew it was something otherwise.


	12. First Strike

"Someone is sending drugs to the people on the streets," Bruce said, turning to face them. "It's causing them to change."

"But who?" Batgirl said, looking over at him.

"I don't know, but we need to find out and fast."

"How are we going to do that?"

"I might know," Jason spoke up. They turned towards him. "A lot of people went to the alley behind David's on seventh street to get drugs. It's one of the available hot spots."

"Do you think a dealer might be there?"

"I know there's one there," he replied honestly, and Dick furrowed his brow as he looked at him.

"It's a good start," Bruce said, walking up to him. "Any other possible leads?"

"There's always the wonderful Crime Alley," he replied, looking up at him.

"Which one do you think they'd be at?"

"Seventh street is a good start. We could check it out."

"We'll start there. Dick, Barbara, hover nearby. Get ready to strike at my call."

"Got it," they echoed back. They watched as Bruce and Jason climbed into the car before hopping onto their bikes and following after them. They parked a few blocks from David's and grappled up top, hopping over the buildings until they finally reached it.

"Stay put," Batman ordered, looking down below. They waited in silence for several minutes until they finally saw two people walking up to one another.

"So, I hear you're interested."

"How much will it cost?"

"Not much. Fifty."

"Here," he replied, giving him the money.

"Pleasure doing business."

"Robin, follow me," Batman said, before they jumped down together. The dealer pushed his back against the wall when they arrived, clearly afraid.

"Talk!" he ordered, walking closer to him.

"About what? Just selling some harmless drugs."

"What is so special about these drugs that everyone wants them? What has been done to these?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

Up top, Batgirl and Nightwing were sitting on the edge of the building, dangling their legs as they looked down below.

"Remember our first night out together?" Nightwing asked her, turning his head to face her. She smiled.

"Oh, yes. I believe I got shot in the arm that night."

"Oh yeah, you did."

"I can't believe I've been out here for this long already."

"Time flies, BG. If you don't stop and slow down a little, you'll miss it."

"Coming from someone who walks on a tightrope."

He grinned at her. "You should try it sometime."

"No way."

"Chicken."

"Still not trying it," she replied, shoving him.

"Batgirl, Nightwing, join us," Batman's voice echoed through the comms. They grappled down below. "We have a sample."

"And let me guess: one of us is going back to the cave to analyze."

"No," he replied. "I have new technology that can analyze right here in the field. It will send it to Alfred in the Batcomputer."

"Neat," Robin said, looking at the equipment.

"The biggest question that remains is how much of the drug is actually out there?"

"That's what we need to find out. If this drug has the ability to change people, we could be in some trouble."

"We need to figure out what's in this drug first," Batman said, analyzing the drug. "I've sent a sample of it to Alfred at the cave. As soon as we get back, I'll look over it again."

"I've received the sample, sir," Alfred's voice came through the comms. "I'll evaluate it and get back to you."

"In the meantime, let's go see if there is anything we can do," he replied, turning back to his charges.

* * *

"Quiet night, Master Bruce?" Alfred said, as the vehicles pulled into the cave.

"Too quiet for my liking," he replied, going over to the computer. "What'd you find out on that drug?"

"Well, I couldn't find much about it until I pulled out some research that Master Dick had put in there over a year ago."

"Me?" Dick said, taking his mask off as he walked up to the computer.

"It looks very similar Bane's venom drug."

"You don't think he's causing this, do you?"

"I'm not sure, but I have the feeling he might be back in Gotham."

"What are we going to do, Bruce?" Jason asked.

" _We're_ not going to do anything. You both have school in the morning. I'm going to research this further."

"Bruce-"

"Go to bed, Jason," he said, turning towards him. "We don't need you passing out in school."

"C'mon, Jay," Dick said, lightly pushing on Jason's back to lead him upstairs. "Bruce is right we don't need to pass out at school."

"Fine," Jason grumbled, struggling to take his cape off. Dick laughed and helped him.

"What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Something obviously is," he replied, handing Jason his cape once he got it off. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Jason replied again, stopping in front of his door. "I'm going to bed."

"Night," Dick said, furrowing his brow. Jason turned and walked into his room, closing the door behind him. He then ripped off his mask and sat on his bed, placing his hands in his head as he did so.

" _Mom?" he called out, opening the door. "Mom?"_

 _His heart was beating in his chest as he looked through the apartment. Since his father had been sent to jail, it was up to him to look after her. To make sure she was ok. To make sure nothing happened to her._

" _Mom?" he whispered, running up to her once he finally found her. He shook her, tears forming in his eyes. "MOM!"_

 _He kept shaking her, hoping by some miracle that she would awaken. Eventually he put his head on her chest and started sobbing._

* * *

"Good morning, young sirs," Alfred said, putting their breakfasts in front of them.

"Morning, Alfie," Dick said, tearing into his. Jason played with his own.

"Not hungry today, Jason?" Alfred asked.

"Not really," he replied, putting his fork down.

"You need to try to eat something," Alfred said, and Jason nodded, shoving a small amount of eggs into his mouth.

"Where's Bruce?" Dick asked.

"He left the cave shortly after the two of you went to bed, and returned in the early hours and hasn't left the computer."

"That's Bruce for ya," he replied, shaking his head.

"Don't take too long," Alfred said, putting dishes into the sink. "We need to be leaving soon."

"Got it," they echoed back, finishing their breakfasts. They quickly grabbed for their bags and met Alfred out in the car. When they finally arrived at Gotham Academy, they met Barbara in the Entrance Hall.

"Morning, boys," she said, throwing them a smile.

"Morning, Babs. Sleep well?"

"Somewhat," she replied, taking the cup from Jason. "How are you this morning?"

"Fine," he replied, looking up at her.

"Good," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "How's your reading assignment coming along?"

"Boring," he replied, taking his book out of his bag. "I'm ready to finish this thing."

"You can always ask for help, you know," she replied, flipping through the pages.

"I got it, Barbie," he replied, taking it back from her. "Just a few more chapters and I'm done with it."

"Look at you," she replied, beaming down at him.

"Mini Barbara," Dick coughed, and they turned to glare at him. "Sorry. I have a really nasty cough today."

"Don't be a jerk," she replied, shaking her head.

"I better go," Jason said, and they bid him goodbye before he turned to walk away.

"Shall I escort you to English?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She laughed.

"Let's go, circus boy."

* * *

"More of this drug has gotten out into the streets," Bruce said, once Dick, Jason and Barbara walked down into the cave.

"Have you figured out where they're coming from?" Dick asked, walking up to the computer.

"I have no idea. It could be one seller, or it could be multiple. We don't know how much of this drug is out there."

"Have you figured out if Bane is behind it?"

"I've been looking. If he is behind it, he's covering his tracks well."

"Why would Bane sell his drugs to people on the streets?" Jason asked.

"He's recruiting, and I might have a lead on where Bane could be hiding. Get suited up. We're going out."

Just as they were about to change, the scanner on the Batcomputer started to go off. _"All units, all units, several rioters lining the streets of Gotham. They are armed and extremely dangerous."_

"Move!" he ordered, and they quickly changed into their suits and drove off after the Batmobile. When they finally parked, Batman stepped out of the car and grappled up to the top of the building, waiting for his three protégés to follow him.

"This looks bad," Nightwing said, looking down at the street below him.

"We don't have much time to waste. Split up and take these men down."

"Let me know when you see The Bat!"

"Bane," Nightwing said, spotting watching as he walked through the street. "Last time either of us saw him was when you sent the team to Santa Prisca."

"You mean the mission that was supposed to be covert only, and you all got busted and blew the building?"

"Do I ever talk about your mess ups?" Nightwing shot back with a grin. "We still got what we needed."

"You still got busted," he replied, and Nightwing shook his head.

"Nothing pleases this guy."

"You're just now finding that out?" Batgirl said back, throwing him a smirk.

"Stay focused," Batman said, taking something out of his pocket. "Leave Bane to me. Try to stop the rioters."

"Got it," they echoed, and they all grappeled off the building, assisting the GCPD with the rioters while Batman advanced on Bane.

"Bane," he said, walking up to him. "I see you've returned to Gotham."

"I am here, Batman," Bane said, walking up to them.

"Bane! You look a little different since I saw you in Santa Prisca," Nightwing said, looking at him.

"Let me deal with him," Bruce said, holding his arms back. "Take down his men!"

"Ladies first," Nightwing said, and she rolled her eyes as she began to take one of the men down, watching as Nightwing and Robin followed suit.

"Should have stayed in Santa Prisca, Bane," Batman said, jumping out of the way to avoid a blow.

"It's been a while since I've been in Gotham," he replied, taking another shot at Batman.

"Hanging in there, Batgirl?" Nightwing asked with a grin, taking down another one of his men.

"Better than you," she replied, giving a roundhouse kick to the face of her one of her own.

Bane quickly hit a button, and Batman watched as his body grew in size, thinking of ideas in his head. He quickly pulled out his grapnel and moved out of the way, avoiding Bane as he was running at him. He then looked down, narrowing his eyes. He pulled out his electricity gun and shot it at him, watching as Bane easily moved out of the way.

"You think I would fall for that twice?" he replied with a laugh, jumping up to pull the beam down. Batman quickly jumped out of the way, but was unable to avoid getting caught by Bane, who quickly smashed him to the ground. He then quickly rolled out of the way, trying to catch his breath as quickly as possible. He continued to run through plans in his head, thinking of the best idea to take Bane down.

"Look out, Nightwing!" Robin said, smashing his staff into another man.

"Hold on!" he told Batgirl and Robin, throwing a smoke bomb down as he did so. Everyone turned their night vision on. They quickly took down most of the men standing there, continuing to work on the few remaining.

"I will break you, Batman!" Bane said, grabbing hold of him. He held up him over his head.

"Not on my watch," Robin said, jumping up to kick Bane in the face. Batman fell out of his hands and hopped on the floor, watching Robin as he took on Bane.

"Robin, no!" he ordered.

"I've got this!" Robin said back, jumping out of Bane's way.

"Rob, no!" Nightwing said, jumping over to assist him. Nightwing and Robin quickly distracted Bane while Batman attacked from behind, quickly unhooking the cords to the venom supply.

"NO!" Bane said, falling to the ground. With a quick maneuver, Batman had him pinned to the ground, watching as his body began to return to normal. He then pulled out his handcuffs and handcuffed Bane.

"Batgirl!" Nightwing said, returning to help her. She was struggling to stand, and they all immediately knew that her foot was injured. The three of them took down the remaining goons.

"Are you hurt?" Nightwing asked, picking Batgirl up.

"I'm fine. My ankle hurts, but I think it's just a sprain. That guy got me good."

"Just relax. It's over," he said, starting to walk her back to the vehicles. He immediately stopped when Commissioner Gordon walked through, and he turned around and walked the other way back to their bikes.

"Bane again, huh?" Jim asked, walking up to Batman.

"He's responsible for the recent drug craze," Batman replied, handing him evidence. Jim opened it and looked at the evidence.

"We'll take it from here. Good work."

"Let's go, Robin," Batman ordered without looking at him. He followed behind him out to the car, where Batman immediately turned to him. Nightwing and Batgirl sat nearby, and he began to wrap her ankle.

"I want you to take Nightwing's bike and go home. You're done for the night."

"What? Why?"

"You disobeyed orders again. Your actions resulted in Batgirl getting hurt. I have warned you about this several times now. It's time to act. Go home and go to bed. You're done."

Robin glared at him for a minute before taking the keys from Nightwing. He then hopped on the bike and drove off, leaving an awkward silence behind him.

"I wrapped her foot," Nightwing said, helping her put her boot back on.

"Go home, Batgirl," Batman said, turning towards her. "Get some rest."

"I'm fine, really," she said, attempting to stand up.

"With that foot, you won't be able to move much. Go home and get some rest. Nightwing and I have this."

"Go home, Babs," Nightwing replied, throwing her a soft smile.

"Ok," she finally said, climbing onto her bike.

"Will you be ok getting home?" he asked her.

"It's just a few blocks down. I'll be fine."

"See you tomorrow," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She threw him a soft smile before she put her helmet on and drove off.

When she arrived at her apartment building, she parked her bike and removed her helmet, grimacing slightly when her foot hit the ground. She quickly climbed the fire escape, ignoring the pain, and let out a sigh as she finally reached her window, before she heard her comms buzz. She put her finger up to her ear.

"Have a good night, BG," Dick's voice echoed through the comms, and she smiled. "Sleep tight."

"You too, Wingnut."

She climbed through her window and closed it behind her, closing the drapes as she did so. She then removed her cowl, sat down in the chair, and let out a deep breath, completely drained after the events tonight.

"Where have you been?"

She quickly flipped the light on, her heart racing. When she could finally see, her heart stopped.

Emily was staring at her, her mouth open wide as she took in the young girl before her.

"Emily, I can explain!" she looked down at herself. "Ok, it kind of explains itself."

"You're Batgirl?" she asked, walking up to her.

"Emily-"

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, furrowing her brow. "Why would you put yourself in danger like that?"

"Emily-"

"Furthermore, you lying to not only me, but your father as well!"

"Emily-"

"You could get seriously hurt! What are you thinking?"

"I want to help this city," she said softly, looking down.

"You could get yourself killed. Do you not understand that?"

"Batman's trained me well. I promise you."

She shook her head, pressing her hands to her face as she did so. "That's not the point, Barbara. You could be seriously hurt, or even…"

She turned away, pressing her hand to her mouth. Barbara dropped her head again, hating the silence that followed.

"I have to tell your father," she finally said, and Barbara looked up in a panic.

"You can't! He'll kill me!"

"Then you need to stop doing this," she said, giving her a concerned look.

"No!"

"Barbara, you make the choice. Either I tell your father, or you give up being Batgirl and we both forget this ever happened."

"I can't," she whispered. "I have to do this."

"Why? Why do you have to do this?"

"I follow in my father's footsteps. I have to protect this city. I need to. Emily, I never venture out alone. I am always with Batman or Nightwing and I've only been seriously hurt once."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Since November," she whispered, playing with her cowl.

"I can't believe I didn't realize before."

"Please don't tell dad," she begged again. Emily sighed, sitting down next to her.

"You could get killed, Barbara."

"Emily, I promise you I'll be safe."

"It's not just your father!" she said, standing up. "I love you like a daughter, too! I don't know…"

She started to tear up, and Barbara stood up and gave her a hug, her heart breaking as she felt her wrap her arms around her. When Emily finally pulled away, she wiped her eyes and bent down so she was eye-level with Barbara.

"I still remember the day you and your father moved in here. When your mother left, your dad couldn't afford your house anymore, so he made the decision to sell it and move into the apartment. I remember how sad you were that you had to move, so I came by and dropped off some cookies and helped you get settled in. I remember how we spent the first just talking about how much you missed your mom, and how you didn't like living in the apartment. I encouraged you to give it a chance.

"As the years went on, I watched you grow into this beautiful and intelligent young woman that I see standing before me today. _I_ helped your father raise you. You're my daughter, too, and the very last thing I want to see is someone carrying you home because you've been injured, or…."

She cut off again and started crying, and Barbara wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her in for another hug.

"You're my mother," she whispered, tearing up a little herself. "I don't want to hurt you, but I have to do this. Please let me do this."

Emily sighed, pulling away from Barbara once again. "I can't let you do this."

"I will call you before I leave and when I get home and I will do whatever you want if you just please let me do this and don't tell dad. You have to let me do this."

She turned away, and Barbara hesitated as she waited for a response from her. She grabbed hold of Barbara's hand and led her to the couch, sitting her down as she did so.

"I can't decide this right now," she whispered, shaking her head. "Take that suit off and go to bed."

"Please don't tell dad," she begged.

"We'll talk about this more later. Go to bed, Barbara."

Knowing better than to argue, Barbara walked to her room and took her suit off, changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Pressing her hands against her head, she realized that this may be the last night of Batgirl.

* * *

There was a knock on her door, and Barbara quickly stood up to answer it. A smile lit up her face as she saw Dick standing on the other side.

"Morning, Babs."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, stepping aside.

"I've been trying to call you all morning. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

"I'm fine," she replied, closing her door. He looked at her.

"You know we were taught by the world's greatest detective, right? I can tell when you're lying."

She let out a sigh before plopping onto her couch. "Emily busted me last night."

"Shit," Dick said, pressing his hands to his mouth. "Is she going to tell your father?"

"I don't know," she replied, watching as he sat down next to her. "She was really mad and said that we would talk about it later. Dad was in a good mood this morning, so I'm betting he doesn't know."

"Is there anything I can do to help? Nightwing, I mean."

"Honestly, I think you'll make it worse. We need to let this run its course."

"What happens to you if she tells your father?"

"I'm grounded forever, and Batgirl will be gone."

"I'd miss Batgirl, and I know Jay would, too."

"Where is Jay?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Oh, big mouth? He's at the cave."

"Who are you calling big mouth? You're not one to talk."

"I don't have a big mouth!" he replied in fake awe, pressing his hand to his chest. She rolled her eyes.

"Sure you don't."

"He and Bruce got into it again."

"Again?" she asked with a soft sigh. "About last night?"

"Yeah."

"What's gotten into him?"

He shrugged, leaning back on the sofa. "I have no idea, Babs. I've tried talking to him, but he doesn't want to talk."

"Maybe I could talk to him," she said. "He seems to listen to me."

He huffed playfully. "We all know why he listens to you."

"Dick," she said, giving him a look.

"You can try, Babs, but it doesn't mean he'll listen."

She let out another sigh as she looked out her window, enjoying the warm spring day. "Maybe a night with friends might help clear his head."

"Do you think you'll be able to come to the lock-in tonight? We could all use a little break after yesterday."

"Dad already said I could go. I told him I was staying the night at Artemis', and her mom convinced him."

"Looks like you're well liked there," he replied with a grin, and she let out a laugh.

"Her mom is super nice for being an ex-villain."

"I think you could get away for a while. It might make you feel better."

"I don't want to stop being Batgirl," she whispered, playing with the string on her shirt. "I love it too much."

He looked down and pressed his lips together. "It won't happen, Babs. I promise you."

"I wish I could believe you, Dick. I really do."

He reached over and grabbed for her hand, giving it a soft squeeze as he did so. She squeezed it back, happy that he was there for her.

* * *

"There you are," Nightwing said, walking up to Batgirl and Artemis as they walked through the zeta.

"We're here," Batgirl said, fixing the bag on her shoulder.

"BG!" Robin said, walking up to her.

"Hey, you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he stressed, looking up at her. She rubbed his head.

"We'll talk later, ok?"

He nodded, knowing what she meant. They walked out of the foyer and to the rooms where they put their bags down. They then walked into the living room, where they were greeted by the rest of the team.

"Dinner will be ready soon," M'gann said, before she and Zatanna walked back into the kitchen. Batgirl stood up and followed them to the kitchen.

"Hello, Batgirl."

"Hi. Do you need any help?"

"Sure. Do you want to finish the potatoes?"

"I'd love to," she replied, going over the stove. She stabbed a fork into it. "Still needs a few minutes."

"I figured," Zatanna said, looking back at the cookbook. "How have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you much lately."

"I've been busy in Gotham," Batgirl replied, turning back to her.

"I can imagine. Nightwing always seems exhausted every time he shows up."

"He just pretends," Batgirl joked, playfully rolling her eyes behind her dark glasses.

"Oh, we know that," M'gann replied, a laugh following her. "He's a bit dramatic."

"Thank you!" she replied, placing her hand on her shoulder. "I always tell people that."

"We've known this for a while now. Don't you worry."

She smiled. "That makes me feel better."

"I'm curious. How long have you known Nightwing?" Zatanna asked, looking over at her.

"I can't say," she replied, dropping her head. "I can't say anything about my personal life."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. We all know what Batman's like."

"I just wish I could tell you guys," she replied. "I feel like I know everything about you, but you know nothing about me."

"It's not your fault. We know all of you would tell us if you could."

"Don't beat yourself up. Maybe someday we'll figure out who's hiding underneath those glasses."

She laughed. "Maybe. I'd love for you to know."

* * *

"Dinner was delicious," Nightwing said, picking the plates up. "Thank you, M'gann and Zatanna."

They nodded as everyone else said their thanks. When all of the dishes were cleaned up, everyone moved to the living room to sit down.

"I have been looking forward to this for so long!" M'gann said, smiling to everyone.

"I think we all have," Batgirl said, throwing her a smile back.

"Anyone have a good story to tell?" Wally asked, looking around.

"I think a lot of us have a few good stories to tell," Nightwing replied with a grin.

"I know Rob and I haven't been on the team for long, but Nightwing loves to tell us stories of what happened before we joined. How about we share some of those?"

"Good idea, BG," Nightwing said, sitting up. "Who wants to go first?"

"I will," Connor said, leaning in. "I remember when Nightwing, Wally and Kaldur rescued me from Cadmus. Remember how hard it was to get out of that building?"

"Oh, yes," Nightwing, Wally and Kaldur replied, nodding their heads.

"I remember the time I was probably the most petrified," Artemis started, and they all looked at her. "It was the night the Red Torpedo and Red Inferno attacked the cave, looking for Red Tornado. Connor, Wally, M'gann and Kaldur were all trapped. Rob-er, Nightwing-"

"I was Robin at the time, you know," he replied with a grin.

"Robin and I had just gotten to the cave from the Gotham zeta, and we had to use the vents to get through the cave. We had to have scaled every inch of the cave trying to get away while trying to figure out a plan. Then Rob got captured, and I was alone. I had no idea what to do. We had the EMP set ready to go, but it wasn't operational. I was scared and alone, but then Rob's obnoxious words got stuck in my head: instead of getting distraught, I should get traught."

He grinned, while Batgirl and Robin slapped their hands to their heads and groaned.

"Not the stupid word thing again," she said, giving him a look.

"Get mayed, not dismayed, BG."

"Stop it!" she said, punching his arm.

"Can I punch him?" Robin asked, looking over at her.

"Next time," she replied with a wink.

"Stay whelmed," Nightwing replied, rubbing his arm.

"Rob."

Robin punched his other arm, and he laughed. "You two crack me up."

"I've been dealing with this for far too long," she replied, shaking her head.

"So, what happened next, Artemis?" Robin asked, clearly interested in the story.

"I had found an arrow that Wally had saved, and I used it to get the EMP activated. When the machines were down, I went to check on everyone. Wally, Connor and Kaldur were ok, but M'gann and Robin weren't coming too. I knew M'gann would be ok, but I was afraid Rob had drowned."

"Remember the next two missions?" Wally asked.

"Oh, yes. The Brain in India, and the Injustice League with their plant creatures."

"Then Zatanna," Kaldur said, looking at her.

"Yeah, remember when Robin first met her?" Wally said, grinning at them.

"Wally," Nightwing warned.

"Oh, yes, he wouldn't shut up."

"Flirting every chance he got."

"I've never seen Nightwing stumble around so much," Wally added on, crossing his arms as he grinned at him.

"I think that's enough," Artemis warned, looking between him and Connor. "That's between Nightwing and Zatanna."

"Be as chalant as you want," Wally chimed, and Nightwing threw his head back, a small laugh escaping between his lips.

"That one was actually not me for a change."

"That was me," Zatanna said with a grin.

"Oh, god, she does it, too?" Robin asked with a groan. Batgirl patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, my father grounded me forever for that."

"Batman didn't let me go for it, either. I still have reasons to believe he's mad at me for that."

"Well, we _did_ kidnap her."

"She volunteered!"

"We missed a lot, didn't we?" Robin asked Batgirl.

"So did we," Garth said, looking over at Tula. "You lot have had some fun adventures."

"It was a pretty interesting start," Connor said, throwing a grin to his teammates.

"We've had our good and bad moments," M'gann said sadly. "Remember the test?"

They nodded, sadness forming on their faces.

"Or New Year's Eve?"

"How did we ever get past these things?"

"Because we worked together," Artemis said. "That's how we got past everything. Even the training exercise. When Black Canary had the personal therapy session with us. Nobody knows what we all said to her, but she helped us get through it."

Batgirl looked over at Nightwing, remembering what he had told her about the therapy session with Black Canary after the training exercise. _"I don't want to be Batman."_

"Changing the subject," Rocket said, turning to the bat trio, "we know you can't tell us your identities, but are there any stories you can tell us? Something that won't tip us off?"

They shook their heads.

"We can't tell you anything about personal lives."

"If we reveal even one detail, you could be onto us."

"Is Bats really that paranoid?" Wally asked, placing his hand underneath his chin as he looked at them.

"Hey, how come Wally knows?" Rocket asked, pointing to him. "He seems to know who all of you are."

"He figured it out," Nightwing said, glaring at him. He grinned back. "You figure one of us out, you figure all of us out."

"Why won't Batman let you tell us?"

"He has his reasons. We'll just leave it at that," Robin replied.

"It's for safety more than anything. He doesn't want any of us getting hurt."

* * *

"I'm beat. I'm going to bed," Zatanna said, waving goodbye to everyone.

"I'm going to get some fresh air," Batgirl said, and they all nodded. She walked out of the cave and out onto the beach, enjoying the beautiful night as she did so. She then spotted Robin sitting on the beach, and she walked up to him.

"Rob." He turned his head to face her, and she pressed her lips together. She sat down beside him and looked out over the ocean. "What happened with Batman today?"

"We got into an argument," he replied with a shrug.

"About?"

"Nothing."

"Talk to me," she said soothingly.

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied angrily, looking away from her.

"Lately, Rob, you've been letting your anger get the best of you. You heard what Batman said. He will not hesitate to bench you if you make a wrong move. That doesn't mean just from the team. It means as Robin, too. You need to relax, ok? I don't want to see the suit going to someone else. You're my partner, remember?"

"We do work well together," he replied with a grin, and she smiled back at him.

"Yeah. You, me, Wingnut in there, we all work well together. We're the trio of birds…and bat," she replied with a laugh, and he followed suit with his own. "I would miss my little birdie too much."

He let out a deep breath. "I'm getting on his last nerve. I see the way he looks at me when we're in Gotham. He's worried I'm going to hurt someone."

"You're not getting on his nerves. He just wants what's best for you. We all do."

"I am trying," he said, dropping his head.

"I know," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "D-Nightwing says you're my mini-me. That you act like me. I can have quite a bit of a temper, too, you know."

"He's told me. He's says your scary when you're angry."

She laughed. "I think he's just scared of me in general. I do know everything about him."

"Will you tell me?" he asked, throwing her a grin. She shook her head.

"No. You're the baby brother. That's only a cause for disaster."

"I'm almost fourteen!" he said, showing her fake awe when she said "baby". She laughed again.

"You're still the younger one, Rob. Trust me, before you were adopted, Nighty in there was over the moon. He finally has a little brother to pick on."

"He does, too," he replied with a scowl. She laughed again.

"What have I said? If Nightwing's picking on you, you come to me. I can deal with him."

"That's why you're the best, Batsy," he replied with a grin, and she smiled.

She reached over and grabbed for the stick that was sitting there before she started painting in the sand. He took it from her and started drawing over her picture, causing her to shove him.

"It wasn't that bad."

"You're not a very good artist, Batsy," he replied with a grin, and she rolled her eyes and shoved him again.

"What's going on out here?" Nightwing asked, walking up to them.

"Just having a talk," Batgirl said, wrapping her arm around Robin's shoulder. He sat down on the other side of Robin

"Trying to draw again, are we, BG?"

"I hate both of you," she replied with a huff, and they both laughed.

"Remember when we were in the seventh grade, and we made those clay sculptures for art class?"

"Mine was not that bad," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him. "Yours looked worse than mine."

"I'm insulted!" he said in fake surprise, pressing his hand to his chest. She rolled her eyes.

"We're working on those right now. Mine doesn't look too bad," Jason said, using the sand to illustrate what his looked like.

"I bet they'll look amazing," Barbara encouraged, squeezing his shoulder again. "Anything has to be better than the mess Dick brought home."

He shook his head. "Rude. Very rude."

She laughed, and they could almost swear Jay had a smirk on his face before it disappeared. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they looked up at the stars and listened to the sound of the ocean.

"I can't believe the school years almost over," Barbara remarked, not taking her eyes off the ocean. "Soon, Nightwing and I will be sophomores and Rob here will be in the eighth grade."

"This close to high school," Robin replied, illustrating with his fingers. They laughed.

"Not much longer. Then you'll join us, and Nighty and I will graduate, and then you'll graduate, and we'll be out there. Out in the world."

"Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"I just want to keep being Batgirl," she whispered, dropping her head.

"Why wouldn't you be Batgirl anymore?" Robin asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Emily busted me. I think she's going to tell my father."

"But, you can't stop being Batgirl!" Robin cried out. She rubbed his head.

"If she tells my father it's all over."

Nightwing shook his head. "We're not going to talk about that tonight. We're having a fun night tonight and we don't need anything bumming it down."

"You're right," Barbara said, a smile returning to her face. "So, boys, we can either go to bed, or stay up late and have fun with the other teammates in there."

"We're creatures of the night. Staying up late is a good quality of ours," Nightwing replied with a grin, and she shoved his head as she stood up, stretching as she did so.

"C'mon, boys. Let's go back inside."

* * *

"This was so much fun," Batgirl said, giving M'gann a hug. "Thank you."

"We'll have to do this again soon."

"Ready, Rob?" Nightwing asked, looking down at him.

"Not particularly."

"It'll be ok," Batgirl assured him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"We should be going," Nightwing said, and she nodded, turning towards the zeta. She walked through first and waited for Dick and Jason to join her.

"Heading home then, red?"

"Yeah. Dad believes I stayed the night with Artemis. He's expecting me back any minute."

"I'm glad you had fun," Dick replied, as they pulled their bikes out.

"I had a lot of fun." She turned to Jason, who was looking down at the ground. "Hey, kiddo, don't be sad, ok? Just watch that temper of yours. Remember, you're _my_ partner, right?"

"Always," he replied with a grin, fist-bumping her.

"Atta boy," she replied, ruffling his hair. "I better go."

"See you at school tomorrow," Dick said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, climbed onto her bike, and drove off back to her apartment. Once she parked the bike, she grabbed hold of her bag and walked upstairs to her apartment building.

"Home sweet home," she said, putting her bag onto the couch. She then plopped down onto her couch and let out a soft sigh, looking around.

' _Emily should be home. I wonder if she'll talk to me yet.'_

Letting out a deep breath, she stood up, waiting for a minute before she started walking to the door.

"Barbara?" Jim said, walking out of his room.

"Hi, dad!" she said, giving him a hug. She then noticed his look. "Is something wrong?"

"Something is wrong," he said, bending down. "Emily got into a car wreck last night. She's in the hospital."

"Is she ok?" she asked, her eyes watering.

"She's in bad shape, but the doctors are optimistic she'll pull through."

"I want to see her," she said, wiping her eyes.

"We'll both go," he said, grabbing for her purse. He quickly led them down to his car before driving off to the hospital, his heart breaking at the sound of Barbara crying.

When they arrived at the hospital, he quickly led her to Emily's hospital room, looking down as Barbara walked over to her bed and started crying.

Jim stood there for several minutes, bowing his head. After about five minutes, she wiped her face off and stood up, walking back over to her father.

"She'll be ok, pumpkin," he replied, giving her a hug.

"I'll be right back," she said, and he nodded before she turned to walk out of the room. She then pulled her phone out, dialed the number and put it up to her ear, trying to stop herself from crying again.

"Please pick up," she breathed out, reaching up to wipe her face off.

"Babs! Can't get enough of me, can you?"

"Dick-"

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice immediately changing from playful to serious.

"E-E-Emily's i-in t-t-t-the h-ospital."

"What happened?" he asked. "You know what, don't answer. I'm on my way, ok? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you," she said, before hanging up. She pressed her head against the wall and started crying harder.

* * *

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked, when Dick ran into the living room.

"Emily's in the hospital. I don't know why, but we need to get there."

"I'll drive, sir," Alfred said, grabbing for his keys. They all stood up and walked out to Alfred's car, and they drove silently to Gotham Memorial.

"I hope she's ok," Dick finally said, pressing his hand to his mouth. "She means too much to Barbara."

They finally pulled into the hospital, and he quickly got out and walked into the hospital. After asking what room she was in, they walked down to her room, softly knocking on the door when they got there.

"Babs!" Dick said, giving her a hug the moment he saw her. She started crying into his chest. "Everything will be ok."

"Bruce," Jim said, shaking his hand.

"What's going on, Jim?"

"She was driving on her way home from work last night and somebody hit her. She's in really bad shape, but the doctors are convinced she'll pull through."

"She'll be ok," Dick whispered soothingly into Barbara's ear, as he softly rubbed her back.

She didn't reply, but she buried her head into Dick's shoulder and held on tight to him. Jason sat silent on the couch, bowing his head.

The room was silent, completely silent. The only noises coming through were the noises from the machines. Dick held onto Barbara, not wanting to let her go.

She needed him, and he would be there for her.


	13. Surprises

Dick sat in his bed, waiting on the text from Barbara. He had hardly slept since he returned home from patrol earlier in the day; his mind raced as he thought of Barbara. Since Emily was still in the hospital, she hadn't left her bedside.

He hoped, more than anything, that Emily would wake soon.

His phone started going off, and he lifted it up to his face, spotting the name Babs on it. He answered it.

"Morning."

"Morning, Dick."

"How's she doing?"

"Still no change. She's still unconscious."

"She'll get better soon," he replied, sitting up in his bed.

"I hope so."

"Babs, do not blame yourself. You did not do this."

"I did though, Dick."

"No, you didn't. It was an accident."

There was silence for a minute. "I feel so guilty."

"Babs, don't feel guilty. She wouldn't want you to."

"I just hope she'll wake up soon."

"She will," he said soothingly. "We'll be by this afternoon."

"Thank you. I'm so glad you're here."

"You're my friend, Babs. My best friend. I know how much Emily means to you."

"You mean a lot to me, too," she replied, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Dick?" Bruce's voice called through his door.

"I have to go, Babs. I'll see you later."

"See you then," she replied, before hanging up.

"Come in," Dick said, watching as Bruce opened his door.

"How's Emily?" he asked, gesturing towards Dick's phone.

"She's still unconscious. Barbara's getting more worried."

"She'll pull through," he said.

"I hope she does," he replied, putting his phone back onto the nightstand. "Is something wrong?"

"I was wanting to see how Barbara was doing."

"Not good."

"I also got it through," he said, and Dick smiled.

"Thank you, Bruce. I really appreciate it."

"For everything she's been through, I think she deserves it."

"I agree," he replied. Bruce was silent for a few minutes.

"We'll go visit Barbara and Emily after breakfast."

"Thank you," he said, and Bruce nodded before getting up. Dick swallowed before he got up and took a shower, desperate to get to Barbara before she spent any more time alone.

"Good morning, Master Dick," Alfred said, watching as he sat down at the table opposite Bruce.

"Morning, Alfie. Is Jason awake yet?"

"I'm hoping he'll get a little more sleep. He didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm fine, Alfred," Jason said, walking into the kitchen. Alfred put his plate in front of him.

After they finished their breakfast, they walked out to the garage and walked towards Bruce's car.

"You're driving," Bruce said, handing him the keys.

"I'm not getting in that car," Jason said, and Dick pushed him forward as he got into the driver's seat.

"He'll be just fine," Bruce said, climbing into the passenger's seat. "Drive to the city, and I'll tell you how to get to the hospital."

Dick nodded before starting up the car. He then carefully drove off to the city, listening to Bruce's instructions on how to get to the hospital. When he parked the car, he watched as Jason threw open the door and fell to the ground.

"Drama king," he replied, getting out of the car.

"I survived!"

"Let's go," he replied, pulling Jason up by his shirt. They walked into the hospital and up to Emily's room, spotting Barbara sitting next to Emily's bedside.

"Hey," Dick said, walking up to her. "How's Emily doing?"

"There's been no change," Barbara replied, holding on tight to Emily's hand. "The doctors are still optimistic, but it's getting so much harder to believe it."

"She'll pull through, Barbie," Jason said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I hope so, Jay," she replied.

"You look exhausted. Jason, why don't you and I go get us all some coffee?" Bruce said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder He nodded and turned to walk out of the room.

Dick waited a minute before sitting down next to her. "She'll pull through."

Barbara didn't reply, and he carefully put his finger underneath her chin, pulling her head towards his.

"Barb."

"I hear you," she finally whispered, and he reached down and grabbed hold of her hand. A small smile lit up her face. "Thank you."

They stared at each other, unable to turn away. When he saw her eyes water, he reached up and wiped her face off, skimming his fingers across her cheek.

"How is she?" the nurse asked, and they immediately turned away from each other. She pulled her chart up. "Her vitals are good. We're just waiting on her."

"See?" Dick said soothingly, rubbing her back. "She'll wake soon."

"Thank you for being here," she said softly.

"Always, Babs."

* * *

"It's weird without Batgirl being here," Robin said, looking over the railing.

"I know," Nightwing whispered, dropping his head.

He missed Barbara by their sides. This last week has been miserable.

Even tonight, with all the activity going on in Gotham, he couldn't take his mind off of her.

And it didn't go unnoticed.

"Nightwing," Batman said, turning away from Robin, "you're not focused tonight."

"I'm sorry. I'll try harder."

Bruce clearly didn't believe him. "Are you going to focus, or worry about Batgirl all night?"

"I'm not-" he started, before closing his mouth. "I'm going to focus."

"Good."

"Somebody help me!"

"Let's move," he said, jumping down below. Nightwing and Robin followed suit, taking down the multiple men surrounding her.

He doesn't even remember how he took the men down. Bruce was right-he was too focused on Barbara.

As the night drug on, he found it even harder to focus. He could tell Bruce was monitoring him, and knew a talk was coming the minute they arrived home, but he couldn't help it.

"I'm off to bed," Jason said, after they pulled into the cave. Bruce waited until he left.

"I know you're going to lecture me."

"I'm not going to lecture you, but you were clearly not focused today. Want to explain that?"

"It's just weird not working with her."

"She was a good partner. One of the best. She loved the job, but she was discovered. The minute her father finds out, he's going to link it back to us, and more trouble will be coming."

"It just sucks, Bruce. I loved working with her."

"I know," he said, clapping his shoulder. "You have school in the morning. You need to get some sleep."

He nodded before going upstairs. He took his suit off, changed into his pajamas and laid across his bed, rubbing his face as he did so.

' _I miss you, Babs. We had a lot of fun together.'_

Shutting his light off, he closed his eyes and struggled to get to sleep.

* * *

"Another boring day of school," Dick said, stretching his arms over his head

"We're almost done. One more week!" Jason said, rubbing his hands together.

"That's right," Barbara said, rubbing his head.

"Are you on your way to the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"Text when you can, ok?" Artemis said, giving her a hug.

"I will."

"Same here, Babs," Dick said, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll see you all later," Barbara said, waving goodbye to them. She met her father outside in his car and got in.

"How was school?" Jim asked, when she got into the car.

"Long. I'm ready to be back at the hospital."

"We're going there right now. Do you have a lot of homework?"

"Just studying for finals."

"That's right. School ends next week."

"Yeah," she said, looking out the window.

"I can't believe you're almost a sophomore. Where does time go?"

"Don't be sad, dad."

"I'm not. I'm very proud of you."

She smiled, watching the scenery go by as he drove back to Gotham Memorial. When they parked, she quickly got out of the car, more than eager to be by Emily's side. She walked with her father up to the hospital room, opening the door the moment she got in there.

"I hear you've been worried about me."

"Emily!" she said, relief flowing through her body as she gave her a hug. "I'm so glad you're ok."

"I'll be just fine. I'm sore, but nothing that medicine won't help."

"You knew?" she asked, wiping her face off as she turned to her father.

"She woke up earlier this morning. Called me at the precinct."

"I'm so relieved," Barbara replied, pressing her hand against her chest.

"You've been unconscious for about a week," Jim said, sitting down next to her.

"No wonder you're so worried," she replied, grabbing hold of Barbara's hand.

"What have the doctors said?" she asked, sitting on the other side of her.

"Other than the broken arm, everything healed up nicely. My shoulder's really sore, and they suggested physical therapy to help with the pain."

"Barbara and I can drive you. She'll be getting her license soon."

"It is almost your birthday," she replied, turning to her. "I think you'll love what I've gotten you."

"You didn't need to get me anything."

"Pish posh. It's not every day you turn sixteen."

"Sixteen," Jim said, shaking his head. "Where does the time go?"

"It flies," Emily said, sitting up in her bed. She hissed in pain.

"Careful," Barbara said, helping her.

"I am just fine," she said, reassuring her. "Where's those boys of yours at?"

She smiled. "They're at home. They came up yesterday to see you."

"Those are sweet boys, especially after everything that's happened to them."

"They're the best," she replied with a small smile.

"I'm just glad you have some _girl_ friends, too."

"Dad!" she said, turning to him. Emily laughed.

"I need to call the precinct. Make sure everything's ok. I'll be right back," he said, and they nodded and waited until he left the room.

"Still have a crush on Dick?"

"Yeah," she replied, rubbing the back of her neck. She felt the chain of her necklace on the back of her neck.

"That's such a beautiful necklace," she said, reaching up to look at it. "Dick gave you this, right?"

"Yeah, for my birthday last year."

"He really cares about you."

"We're friends. Have been for almost eight years."

"Barbara," Emily said, and she looked down, "I know you like him."

"It'll go away."

"Is it?" she asked, and Barbara kept her head down. "Or is it getting stronger?"

"He's my friend."

"Like you're father, you're very stubborn."

She laughed. "I'm really glad you're ok."

"I'm just fine," she reassured her, squeezing her hand lightly.

* * *

"Time to go home," Emily said, watching as Jim wrapped his arm around her and helped her up. Barbara grabbed hold of her belongings.

"We're happy you're going home," Barbara said, as they walked out of her room and down the hall.

"So am I. These beds are so uncomfortable."

"Emily," another nurse said, giving her a hug. "Glad to see you up and about."

"Can't keep me down," she replied with a smile.

"We've missed you here."

"I'll be back soon," she said.

"Go home and get some rest. We'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Amanda," she replied, before turning to walk back out again. Jim led them down to his car and drive them back to their apartments.

"Feels so good to be home," she said, when they walked through the door.

"You're looking tired. Let's go lay you down," Jim said, and she nodded, watching as they walked into her bedroom.

"Take it easy," he said, sitting Emily down on the bed. "How do you feel?"

"My head really hurts," she replied, rubbing it softly.

"Your medicine should kick in any minute. Just lie down."

She did as she was told, before looking over at Barbara. "I'm not made of broken glass, you know."

"I'm just really glad you're alright," she replied, bending down to give her a hug.

"I'll be fine soon."

"I'll go make you some tea," Jim said, squeezing her hand. She nodded, and they both sat in silence for a minute after he walked out.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Barbara asked, and Emily grabbed hold of her hand.

"I'm just a little beat up, but I'll be fine."

"Emily, about what happened with us before the wreck-"

"Did something happen between us?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"You don't remember?"

"I don't remember much of anything right now," she replied. "I don't remember fighting with you at all. What was it about?"

She pressed her lips together. "It was my fault. You were just trying to do good and I got mad at you. I've felt so bad because the next night you were in the wreck and all I could think about was arguing with you."

"Don't feel guilty, honey," she said, giving her hand a light squeeze.

"I'm so glad you're ok. I don't know what I'd do without my mother."

She gave her a tired smile. "I'm always here for you. I just want you to know that."

"I do," she replied softly, watching as Emily struggled to keep her eyes open. "Get some sleep."

"Will do," she said, before she fell asleep. She then turned and walked out of her room.

* * *

"Hey, Babs," Dick said, as she walked down into the cave. "How's Emily?"

"Better," she said, watching as he wiped his hands and stood up. "She's been sleeping a lot."

"That's good. She'll recover in no time."

"I hope so." She hesitated for a minute. "I asked her about the night she caught Batgirl."

"And?"

"She has no memory of it."

"So, Emily has no idea?" Dick said, furrowing his brow.

"Doesn't seem like it. I asked her about it, and she doesn't even remember getting into the argument."

"So, Batgirl lives on," he said, throwing her the Batgirl suit. She smiled.

"I guess she does."

"Batgirl and Robin again, huh?" Jason asked, throwing her a grin.

"There's my birdie. Have you been listening this entire time?"

"No," he replied, shuffling his feet as he looked down. She smiled.

"Liar."

"I'm just glad you're staying on."

"Was that sentiment I hear coming from you? Stop the presses!" Dick said in fake shock. Jason threw a batarang at him.

"Shut up, Dick!"

He laughed, catching the batarang in his hand. "Don't be tense, little brother."

Jason glared at him. Barbara smiled, shoving Dick's head in the process.

"Stop being mean to him."

"Hey, I'm the older one. It's my right!"

"In that case, I'm older than you, so I get that right, too," she replied with a smirk, and Jason followed with one of his own.

"I'm not scared of you," he replied, giving her a look. "Anyway, Babs, your sixteenth birthday is in a few weeks."

"I guess it is," she replied, looking up at him.

"Is there anything you want?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I don't even know if I'm going to have a party."

Dick and Jason looked at each other, as though thinking the same thing. She looked between them.

"What'd you two do?"

"Why do people always think we do something?" Dick asked in fake astonishment. "What, my brother and I can't look at each other without people thinking we're doing something wrong?"

"Yeah, we're insulted here!"

"Ok, you two are definitely planning something," she replied, looking between them, "and it's obviously something about my birthday."

"Ok, paranoia," Dick replied, rolling his eyes. "You're not the only birthday coming up, you know."

"Jason!" Barbara said, turning to him. "You'll be fourteen!"

"We're planning his party now, too."

"Joy," he replied.

"There will be plenty of girls there," Dick said, pushing his brother. Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Stop trying to make him you!"

"I'm not," Dick replied innocently.

"What do you want for your birthday? It's your first one since you've gotten adopted."

"Nothing," he replied with a shrug.

"Babs and I are going to find you the best gift," Dick said, hopping off the Batmobile. "Don't you worry."

"I'm scared," he replied, looking back up at them.

"Ignore him. We'll get you something good."

* * *

"Morning, Bruce," Dick said, as he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He took a drink before turning to them.

"I plan on working with all of you today to see where you're at."

"Training day, huh? Always fun."

"Jason, you'll be up first."

He looked up. "Fine."

"See if Barbara can come as well."

"I'll shoot her a text."

"Meet me down in the cave when you're ready," he said to Jason, before turning to walk away. They finished their breakfasts.

"Heading down."

"Catch you soon," he replied, before Jason stood up. He went upstairs to change before moving to the clock. He opened the passageway and walked down it, spotting Bruce at the computer.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah," he replied, watching as Bruce picked up two sets of boxing gloves. He handed one pair to Jason before putting the other on. "We're going to box?"

"We're going to work on your fighting skills, yes. Shall we?" he asked, helping Jason up onto the ring. "On your mark."

He threw the first punch, watching as Bruce avoided it and shot back. He then took his own shot, watching as Jason reached his hands up to block. He then let out a sigh of anger as he threw another punch at Bruce.

"Anger, Jason," Bruce replied, blocking another one of his punches. "The angrier you are, the harder the punch."

Jason blocked a few more punches and was able to get a few of his own in, pride growing in himself. After a few minutes, Bruce lowered his hands and took his gloves off, watching as Jason did the same.

"You're getting better."

"I've been working with Dick and Barbara. They believe I can do better."

"I do, too. I know you can."

He looked up and spotted Dick and Barbara as they entered the cave. Jason turned around and threw her a smile.

"Hey, Barbara! You got here quick."

"I was already on my way here when Dick called me. Figured I could get in some my own training before I found out Bruce was wanting all of us to train."

"Barbara, glove up."

"Good luck, Babs," Jason said, handing her the gloves. She smirked at him.

"How's your foot?"

"Much better," she said, moving it around to show him.

"Good. Let's test you."

He put his hands up, and she did the same, waiting for his signal. When he finally moved, she fired back, taking as many shots at him as she could. He stopped her after a few minutes.

"Very good. You've gotten better."

"I don't want to disappoint."

"And you haven't. Take a break."

"Thank you," she said, stepping out of the ring. He followed behind her.

"Dick, Jason, let's see how you two do."

They nodded, took the gloves from them and put them on before stepping into the ring.

"Brother vs. brother. This should be good," Barbara replied, leaning against the ropes with a grin.

"Show me what you got," Bruce said, and Jason smirked.

"Nightwing vs. Robin," Dick said, punching his hands together. "Let's see who wins."

"Me," Jason replied, and Dick didn't reply.

"Go!"

Dick took the first shot, watching as Jason moved and avoided it. He took his own, growling in frustration when Dick did a backflip and moved out of the way. He then jumped over Jason and took a shot in the back, watching as he fell to the ground but immediately got back up. He turned around and took another shot at Dick, who blocked it with his gloves. He punched Jason in the stomach before taking a shot at his face, watching as he fell to the ground again.

"That's enough," Bruce said, breaking it up.

"I let you win," Jason said, rubbing his cheek. Dick smirked.

"If you say so."

"I was really hoping you would kick his butt," Barbara whispered to him, and he grinned up at her.

"Next time, Barbie. I promise."

"Good. Here's an ice pack," she replied, handing him one. He pressed it up against his cheek.

"You need more practice," Bruce told him. "You were too slow on some of those movements."

"That's all I've been doing lately, Bruce," Jason said, looking up at him. "I've practiced as much as I can."

"This isn't practice for a baseball team, Jason. This is a matter of life and death. One wrong move and it's over."

"Nothing wrong with lots of practice, Jay," Dick said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "We'll take you to the cave and you can practice some more there, too."

"Then why don't you try it?" he suggested, gesturing his head towards the ring. "You and Barbara."

"What do you say, Babs?" Dick said, turning to her. "Feel up to it?"

"Always do," she replied, taking the gloves from Bruce. They stepped into the ring.

"Get set," Bruce said, and they got into stance. "Go."

"Get him, Babs!" Jason said, and she threw a punch, watching as he blocked it. She kept taking shots at him, growing more and more frustrated when she couldn't get one off. He threw one at her, hitting her in the chest and causing her to stumble. She then glared at him, throwing a punch of her own and hitting him in the arm.

"C'mon, Babs. You can do much better than that."

"You're right," she replied, swinging her leg around. She caused him to stumble, which she used to her advantage. She punched him hard in the chest, causing him to fall backwards onto the ring, moaning out in pain as he did so.

"And that's that," she replied, taking her gloves off.

Dick glared at Jason as he fell to the floor laughing, clutching his stomach in the process. Barbara smirked down at him.

"You were saying?"

"Good work," Bruce said, throwing her a towel. "You've gotten much faster."

"I'd say. Grayson still hasn't gotten off the floor," Jason said, a grin lighting up his face. She held her hand out for him and he took it, getting back up as he did so.

"Shut up, Todd."

"Nah. This is too good."

"And that's how it's done," Barbara said, walking over to Jason.

"I should have been trained by you," Jason said, and Dick rolled his eyes.

"Who do you think trained her?"

"And who do you think trained all of you?" Bruce said, ending the conversation. "I think that's enough for now. Go ahead and get cleaned up."

They nodded, and waited for Bruce to walk away. Dick then turned back to Barbara.

"You had to do that in front of him?" he asked, pointing to Jason. She nodded.

"Of course."

"It was awesome, too," Jason replied, and Dick pushed him out of the way.

"About as awesome as me punching you in the face."

"Shut up," he grumbled, rubbing his cheek. Barbara shook her head.

"What do the two of you do when I'm not here?"

"You don't want to know," Dick replied, and Jason glared at him. "C'mon. The party will be starting soon. We need to get cleaned up. As always, the guest bedroom is ready for you, Babs."

"Thanks," she replied, before grabbing for her bag. They all walked upstairs and to their respective bedrooms and got ready, more than excited for what the rest of the day held.

As soon as Barbara got out of the shower, she quickly dried her hair, brushed it, put it into a ponytail, and put her make-up on, knowing that Dick and Jason were waiting for her. The second she was ready, she put everything back into her bag and joined them down in the cave.

"Are we ready to go?" Dick asked. They nodded.

"I've been looking forward to this," Barbara replied.

"Let's go," he said, and they all grabbed their bags. They hopped on their bikes and drove off to the cave, using the zeta to get to it.

"Hi!" M'gann said, giving them a hug when they arrived.

"We're the last ones? Usually Wally's the one who's late."

"Shut up," Wally replied, throwing a napkin at him. He laughed.

"Now that everyone's here, we can get started," Connor said, putting his hand on M'gann's back.

"Food is in the kitchen. Help yourselves."

"Thanks, M'gann," they all echoed, before going to eat their lunch. Batgirl sat next to Nightwing.

"Look at those two," Artemis whispered to Wally in the kitchen. He shook his head.

"They're both so stubborn."

"About as stubborn as we were," she replied, turning to him. A smirk lit up his face.

"I think they're worse than we are."

She laughed and they fixed their own lunches before meeting everyone else. About a half-hour later M'gann stood up again, holding her glass up. Everyone followed suit.

"Happy Independence Day, everyone."

"Happy Independence Day!" they echoed back.

"Two years ago, three sidekicks decided to go out on their own to investigate Cadmus. It was the night they decided to defy their mentors to go investigate the fire. It was the night they found Superboy."

"It was the night we all got lectured," Wally added in. Nightwing scoffed.

"You?! Batman yelled at me for almost an hour, then continued to lecture me for two weeks afterwards!"

"Is that all?" Batgirl and Robin asked together, and fist-bumped each other afterwards.

"Two years have gone by, and we've added so many new members to the team. There's been a lot of mistakes, a lot of trust issues, and a lot of missions, but we're all still here fighting the good fight, and we'll continue fighting the good fight."

"Here, here!" everyone said, raising their own cups.

"Alright, I'm ready for some fun in the sun!" Wally said, putting his cup down. "Who's with me?"

"After we clean up the kitchen," Artemis said, and his face dropped before he zoomed into the kitchen before returning.

"All clean."

"Thank you, Wally," M'gann said. "I think we should give it a little bit more time, then we can go."

"I agree," Batgirl said, and he huffed before sitting on the couch. Artemis rolled her eyes and shoved his head.

"It won't be that long. Relax."

They sat around and waited for another half-hour before everyone got up to change. When they were ready, Nightwing and Robin walked out of the cave and onto the beach, looking around as they did so.

"Nice day," Robin said, and Nightwing nodded in agreement. Artemis and Batgirl finally walked out, and they both took their covers off.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. She was in a two-piece red bikini bathing suit.

"New bathing suit, huh?" he asked, swallowing slightly.

"Yeah. I saw it and I really liked it."

"It's…nice," he replied, turning to look away from her.

"Are you going to get in?" she asked, taking a few steps into the ocean.

"In a minute," he replied quietly, and she gave him a look before fully stepping in, leaving the top-half of her body exposed.

"Earth to Nightwing," Wally said, waving his hand in front of Nightwing's face. He shook his head. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," he replied, moving to join Robin on the beach. Wally looked over at Barbara for a minute before grinning.

"Oh!"

"Shut up! Shut up!" he hissed, turning back towards him. Wally was grinning.

"Developing feelings for Batsy, are we?"

"No!"

"Yes," Robin replied, packing the sand together. Nightwing turned and glared at him.

"Shut up!"

"Something wrong, Nightwing?" M'gann asked, walking up to him.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

Wally was still grinning, and he shoved him away as he walked to the ocean. He stood on the edge, watching as Barbara and Artemis floated in the distance.

"Come in, Wingnut!"

He threw them a grin before splashing them, and they retaliated back by splashing him back. This led to an all-out war, in which every joined in, starting several different water fights.

"That was fun," Batgirl said, drying her hair off with the towel once everyone settled down. She, M'gann, Zatanna and Artemis sat in the chairs, watching as the boys started a volleyball game.

"Can't help but notice that you've been checking Nightwing out since he changed into his swim trunks," Artemis said, and Barbara looked at her.

"That's not true."

"Uh huh," she said, laying back on the chair.

"It's pretty obvious, Batgirl," Zatanna said, and she blushed, sitting up in her chair.

* * *

"It's been a fun day," M'gann said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"As fun as it has been, it's time for us to return," Nightwing said.

"Can't keep ol' bats waiting, can we?"

"Shut up, Wally."

"I feel like you two have been saying that a lot today," Zatanna said, and everyone else bobbed their heads in agreement.

That's when the alarm started going.

"What's going on?" Nightwing asked, running back into the foyer.

"An emergency alert has gone off in Happy Harbor," Red Tornado said.

"Let's get moving," he ordered, and they nodded, moving towards the bioship. They quickly took off towards the city, confused when everything looked normal.

"Town's deserted, but there's nothing here," Superboy said, as they stepped off the ship.

"How is this happening?" Kid Flash asked, looking around.

"It's almost like it's a delusion," Aqualad said, walking up to them.

"Like we were supposed to be here, but not supposed to be here at the same time."

"Exactly."

"Seems like a coincidence to me," Kid Flash said, turning to them. "Two years ago, the power plant was attacked, and now this?"

"You're right, K.F. Something seems off about this."

"What is it, though?" Batgirl asked, furrowing her brow.

"Or maybe that's it," Robin said, pointing behind them. They turned around, their mouths dropping open.

"Yup, that would do it," Nightwing said, pulling his escrima sticks out. "Whatever that thing is, we need to take it down."

"Aquagirl, Tempest, in the water," Aqualad said, and they ran after him.

"Batgirl, Robin, throw whatever you can at it. Artemis, do you have any arrows like an E.M.P.?"

"Something like that," she replied, pulling it out of her quiver.

"Kid, run around it. Try to cause it to fall."

"On it."

"Superboy, Miss. Martian, attack the thing."

They nodded and took off. Batgirl, Robin and Nightwing started throwing their batarangs at it, watching as it had minimial effect.

"Didn't see that coming," Robin replied.

"Neither did I. Superboy's even having a hard time with it."

"It's almost like it's indestructible," Batgirl said, looking over it. They quickly jumped out of the way and stood back up, thinking things over in their minds.

"Robin, it might be time for you to fly," Nightwing said, and Robin looked over at him in concern.

"What now?"

"Miss. Martian!" Nightwing said, pointing to Robin. She flew down and picked him up, dropping him on top.

"Oh," Robin said, the answer dawning on him. He quickly pulled his staff out and stuck into the neck of the robot, watching as sparks began to fly.

"Get down, Robin!" Superboy said, grabbing hold of him. They fell to the ground, watching as Tempest, Aquagirl and Aqualad took it down.

"Robin," Batgirl said, running up to him. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he replied, and she gave him a look.

"Don't even. Stay down. We'll get you to the medbay when we return to the cave."

He nodded. Nightwing stood up and pressed his finger to his ear.

"What was that thing?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"I'm not sure, but it did a lot of damage."

"It's not a coincidence that it shows up almost two years after Mister Twister did."

* * *

The sun shining in her room woke Barbara up. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up and stretched, a smile lighting up her face.

Today was her sixteenth birthday.

She threw her covers off and ran to the bathroom. When she finished, she walked out and moved into the kitchen, her mouth opening.

"Happy birthday, pumpkin," Jim said, kissing her head.

"You guys made breakfast?" she asked, looking at the food on the table.

"Emily made it."

"You should be resting," she said, giving Emily a hug.

"I've rested enough. It's your sixteenth birthday. Do you really think I wouldn't be here?"

"Thank you," she said, pulling away from her. She then took a seat at the table. "You've made all my favorites?"

"We sure did."

"Just for you," Jim said, smiling at her. "I am very proud of the young woman you have become."

"So am I," Emily said. "Happy birthday, not-so-little-one."

"Emily and I know you didn't want a party, but we both want to take you out to lunch."

"I would like that," she said, giving her father a hug.

* * *

"Here's your free dessert," the waitress said, putting the piece of strawberry cheesecake in front of Barbara. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," she said, smiling at her before she took a bite of the cheesecake. "This is delicious."

"I was waiting until after lunch to give you this," Emily said, giving Barbara a wrapped box. She took it from her and opened it.

"You shouldn't have," she said, pulling the blue shoulder-top out.

"I know how much you loved it at the mall," she said, throwing her a smile.

"Thank you," she said, standing up to give her a hug. "I love it."

"And this is from me," Jim said, giving her a small box when she sat back down. "Happy birthday, pumpkin."

She took the box and opened it, a smile lighting up her face. "Dad."

"I was hoping you would like that."

"So, does this mean I get to drive the car, too?"

"As soon as you get your license you can."

She opened the card, smiling as she read what her father wrote.

"You shouldn't have," she said, gesturing to the money in the card.

"Well, I did."

She took the money out and put it into her wallet before hooking the car key around her key hook, feeling happy. "Thank you both for everything."

"The night's not over yet," Jim said, and Barbara looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean? I thought we were just doing lunch?"

"Well, this was supposed to be a surprise, but the boys are throwing you a dinner party at the manor tonight."

"I knew it!" she said. "They've been acting strange."

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" Jim asked, when Barbara walked into the living room.

"Yes."

"Let's get going," he said, leading both her and Emily outside.

"I knew they had something planned," Barbara said, as Jim started driving off.

"They wanted to give you a nice dinner," Emily replied, smiling at her through the rear-view mirror.

"I knew it!"

"They asked Bruce if they could have it at the manor, and he agreed."

"They said it's your favorite foods."

Barbara couldn't shake the smile as they drove off to Wayne Manor. When they pulled up, she got out of the car, her brow furrowing as Jim and Emily smiled at each other. They led her inside.

"Why are we going to the ballroom?" she asked, but they didn't answer. They opened the doors.

"Surprise!"

"Oh, my," she said, putting her hand on her chest. Up front, Dick and Jason were grinning at her. "Did you two do this?"

"We kept it simple like you asked, but yeah it was us."

"Thank you," she said, giving them both a hug.

"Happy birthday, Babs," Dick said. She smiled at him.

"You're going to love what we've gotten you," Jason said with a grin and she gave him a look.

"Oh, I am, am I?" she replied, ruffling his hair.

"Happy birthday, Barbara," Bruce said, walking into the ballroom.

"Thank you. All of you."

"You all have fun," Emily said with a wink, before turning to walk out the door with Jim and Bruce. She turned back to them.

"Surprised, are we?" Dick asked with a grin, right as the music started to play.

"Yes. Dad told me that you made dinner."

"You don't want me cooking your dinner. Jason's a mean cook, though. I would have had him do it."

She laughed. "You didn't have to do this."

"We wanted to," Jason said, smiling up at her.

"Thank you both," she said, giving them a hug. She then turned to Wally and Artemis. "Thank you for coming."

"Happy birthday, red," Wally said, giving her a hug.

"Happy birthday, Barbara."

"Thank you," she said, pulling away from Artemis. "Let's party!"

Wally winked at her before leading Artemis out to the dance floor. Jason disappeared amongst the crowd of teenagers.

"Can I have this dance?" Dick asked, holding his hand out to her. She smiled and took it.

"Always."

He threw her a smile, and she ignored the flutters in her stomach as he led her out to the dance floor.

"So, Babs, you'll be getting that big license here soon."

"You'll be getting yours in a few months."

"Yeah, but that's a few months."

"Plus, you know I can't drive anyone around."

"Eventually, you can."

"I'll drive Jason where he wants to go," she replied, throwing Dick a grin.

"I see how it is. I get a little brother, and you like him more than me."

"I've always liked Jay more than you."

"You two would make a very cute couple, you know," he replied, and she blushed.

"I hate you, Grayson."

"Not much of an age difference. I know he would love it."

"Stop!" she said, pushing him.

"I'm just kidding. Relax yourself."

"Don't be a jerk," she said, swaying with him. He grinned.

"I'm not. I'm a gentleman."

"If that's what you call it," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Seriously, what would you do without me?"

"I honestly have no idea," she replied, and he pulled away, shock written on his face. "We've been friends for so long."

"Almost eight years," he whispered, and she smiled. "That's hard to believe."

"They say if you make it past seven, it's forever."

"Friends forever, then, huh?" he whispered, and she looked up at him.

"Yeah," she whispered back, swaying with him. She spotted something and pulled her head up. "Dick, look!"

He stopped moving and moved his head, a grin breaking out on his face. "Look at that. I'm so proud!"

She rolled her eyes. "If he turns out like you Dick Grayson I swear it."

"What's wrong with me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes playfully. "I'm perfect."

"Uh huh," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Still, he looks happy dancing with that girl."

"He actually invited her."

"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup. Her name's Megan. She's in his math class with him. From what I understand, I believe our wittle Jay has a crush."

"Be nice about it," she ordered.

"I'm always nice."

"No, you're not."

"Fine," he replied with a fake sigh. The song ended. "I'm going to talk to Wally. Have some fun, red."

"Will do," she replied, watching as he gave her a friendly shove before disappearing.

"Hey, Barbie," Jason said, walking up to her.

"Hi. Where's Megan?"

"She went to the bathroom," he said, and she smiled down at him.

"Do you like her?"

"She's a friend," he replied, blushing slightly.

"A friend like me?"

"There's no one like you," he said, a smile lighting up his face. She shook her head, unable to shake her own smile.

"Ok, you little flirt. Would you like to dance?"

"Love to," he replied, holding his hand out to her. She took it, and they started moving together. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," she said, smiling down at him. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Nothing," he replied with a shrug.

"Don't do that. I know there's something you want." He didn't reply. "That's ok. I'll find something."

"Awe. Look at this," Dick said, walking back up to them. She rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"Don't be mean."

"You two are so cute together."

"Shut up, Dick!"

He laughed. "Don't be tense."

"You're being mean to him."

"I'm his older brother. It's my job to pick on him."

"You'll regret it," Jason hissed, and Barbara laughed.

After another hour of dancing and talking, Barbara walked up to the punch bowl, growing both thirsty and tired as the night wore on. She started to grab for a cup when a hand stopped her, and she looked up, a small smile forming on her face.

"Having fun?" Wally asked her, holding his hand out.

"A lot of fun," she replied, taking hold of his hand. He led her out to the dance floor. "Won't Artemis be jealous, you dancing with me?"

He laughed. "She's the one who told me to offer you a dance."

"She ordered you, did she?"

"Quiet, red," he replied, giving her a slight push. She laughed.

"I think you and Art were a part of this," she replied, looking around. "Thank you."

"It was all their idea," he replied, gesturing his head towards Dick and Jason. "They asked us to come."

"They're too good to me."

"They really care about you," he said softly, and she looked back up at him.

"I care about them, too."

When the song ended, they broke away, and Alfred called her up for cake. Looking amongst the crowd of people, she really was blessed that she had the friends she had.

She didn't know what she would do without them.


	14. End of Summer

"About time you're up," Dick said, finishing his bowl of cereal. Jason ignored him and rubbed his eyes, grabbing for a bowl from the cabinet. "What? Not going to talk today?"

"Leave me alone," he replied, pouring the cereal into his bowl. Dick narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing."

"Ok," Dick said, standing up to wash his bowl out. "Babs and I are heading to the cave soon if you want to tag along."

He nodded, and Dick turned to walk out of the kitchen. He walked up to his bedroom and laid down on his bed, wondering what was wrong with Jason.

After a few minutes of laying down, he finally got up and got into the shower, letting the warm water soak his aching muscles.

Last night was rough.

He got thrown into a building trying to stop a mugger. A very critical mistake, but luckily Barbara had his back and was able to take him down.

That didn't stop the pain, though.

He stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist. He then brushed his teeth and dried his hair with another towel before he stepped out of the bathroom. He got changed and lied back down on his bed, feeling exhausted.

"Dick? Dick!"

"Wha?" he asked, snapping his eyes open. When they finally came into focus, he spotted Barbara staring down at him, hands on her hips as she stared down at him.

"Babs?"

"We were supposed to go to the cave, remember?"

"I must have fallen back asleep," he said, sitting up in his bed. She tilted her head to the side as she stared down at him.

"Wake up, sleepy head."

"Where's Jay?"

"He's not here," she said, and he looked up at her.

"What do you mean he's not here?"

"He must be at the cave already."

"He's mad about something," Dick said, sitting up in his bed.

"He's probably not in a good mood today. Just leave him be."

He got out of his bed and grabbed for his phone, pocketing it as he did so. "Whenever you're ready to go."

"You don't look like you're feeling well," she said, placing her hand on his head. "You ok?"

"Just fine," he replied, grabbing for her hand.

"Let's go," she said, pulling on his hand to lead him out of his room. They walked down to the cave and hopped on their bikes, quickly speeding off to the booth. When they finally arrived, they parked their bikes in the garage. They then traveled through the zeta tube to get to the cave, spotting Jason watching TV with Connor.

"There you are," Nightwing said, walking up to them.

"Here I am," he replied dully. Batgirl sat down next to him.

"Hi there," Zatanna said, walking into the living room.

"Oh, hey there, Z," Nightwing said, flashing her a grin.

"Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin," she replied, throwing them a smile.

"Hello, Zatanna."

"I hear Batman might have a mission for us."

"We'd love to tell you, but we honestly have no idea. He keeps to himself. I've been trying to get him to open but he won't listen," Nightwing said, shaking his head. Batgirl rolled her eyes.

"Why do you talk?"

"Because I'm a delight."

"If that's what you call it."

"If you're wondering, they never stop talking like this," Robin said, with an annoyed look on his face. Batgirl ruffled his hair.

"You three seem like you're fun to be around."

"Depends on the day," Nightwing said. "I mean, I'm a delight but these two, well, they have their days."

"I am so going to hit you," she replied, shaking her head.

"Gather around," Batman said, walking up to them. "A few hours ago, the Watchtower picked up unusual activity near Madrid. I am sending your team uncover to investigate what's going on and report back to me. Covert only. Aqualad will lead."

He nodded. Batman gave them all a look before he turned and walked away.

"Zatanna, Nightwing Batgirl, Robin, Aquagirl, Tempest, Miss. Martian and Superboy. Sounds like a good team."

"We should get moving," Aqualad said, and they all nodded They boarded the bioship, and M'gann started to take off.

* * *

"This is about the area where the Watchtower picked up activity," Nightwing said, closing his gauntlet.

"We'll have to continue on foot. Camouflage mode everyone."

M'gann parked the bioship, and they all stepped out. M'gann went invisible and flew off, and they waited until she returned.

"There's a bunker about a mile up. I think that's where they're at. They're below a cliff, which would be a good look-out spot."

"Let's move," Aqualad said, and they started walking towards the cliff. They all kneeled down, and Robin took out his binoculars and started observing.

"What is this place?" Robin asked quietly.

"Mind link, M'gann."

" **Established,"** she said through the link.

" _ **It could be a hideout for the light, or it could be something else entirely,"**_ Nightwing answered him, looking out with his own binoculars.

" _The real question is, what's in there exactly?"_ Aqualad replied.

" **That's what we need to find out,"** Batgirl replied.

" _ **How, though? We can't be discovered,"**_ Tempest asked, before looking over to spot Nightwing and Robin missing. _**"Never mind."**_

" _Batgirl, how do you all do that?"_

" _ **We're ninjas,"**_ she replied with a grin on her face. _**"At least, that's what Wally tells us."**_

" _We found a way in,"_ Robin said through the link.

" **Move,"** Aqualad ordered, and they took off towards Nightwing and Robin. They all entered the entrance and looked down from the rafters.

" _ **Uh, what is that?"**_ Robin asked, furrowing his brow.

" _Recording,"_ Nightwing said, turning the video camera on through his domino mask.

" _ **Looks like a chemical factory,"**_ Batgirl said, looking around. _**"They could be replicating something here."**_

" _That's the last thing we need,"_ Aqualad said,agreeing with her.

" _ **Look!"**_ Superboy said, pointing to a person. They all looked down, and Nightwing narrowed his eyes.

" _Talia al Ghul."_

" **Is she related to Ra's?"** M'gann asked.

" _ **She's his daughter. One of them, anyway."**_

" **That's Talia?"** Robin asked, looking over at him.

"How much longer will this take?" Talia asked, walking with the man.

"Not much longer, m'lady. We're nearly done."

"My father is losing patience. His _associates_ are pressuring us."

"We are so close. Another day or two and we'll have this ready."

"Finish it," she ordered, and the man nodded before turning away. Talia looked around for a minute before turning on her heel. Nightwing tapped his finger against the rafter.

" _ **She and her father are both working for The Light?"**_ Robin asked.

" _I don't think she is. I believe she's just following his commands,"_ Nightwing answered.

" **Let's split up. Aquagirl, M'gann, Superboy and I will go look at the other building. You lot stay here,"** Aqualad said, and they nodded. They disappeared, and Nightwing looked back down.

"Stay close," he whispered. "We're going to see if we can get any intel without tipping someone off."

They nodded, and followed him. When the coast was clear, they quietly jumped down and ran to the control room, quietly taking down the men who were guarding it.

"Batgirl," Nightwing said, gesturing to the computer. She smirked at him as she sat down in the chair, and he plugged his gauntlet into it.

"This is a good encryption," she said, trying to figure it out. "I don't know how long it will take."

"Robin and I will try to help," he replied, typing into his own gauntlet.

"Got it," she said, after a minute. The computer screen came up, and she began to look through the files.

That's when the computer fried, along with Nightwing's gauntlet.

"Damn it!" he hissed, removing it as it sparked. The room filled with armed men, and they started to take them down.

"We need to move," Nightwing said, turning to everyone once the men were down. "We've been spotted now. We need to find the others."

"What happened?" Aqualad asked, running up to them.

"We attempted to hack the computers, but it alerted them we were here. My gauntlet got fried," Nightwing said, showing him the gauntlet.

"Hold it right there!" a man called out, and several more came running out.

"Look out!" Nightwing said, jumping out of the way to avoid the gunfire. Batgirl shot some batrangs off and knocked the guns out of their hands, watching as Tempest and Aquagirl helped take them down. Zatanna said a spell, and all of the guns went flying away.

She was shot from the back.

"Zatanna!" Batgirl said, rushing over to her.

"It hurts," she said, grabbing hold of her side.

"Stay with her, Batgirl," Nightwing ordered, watching as Superboy took the gunman down. She nodded. "Robin, on me."

Robin ran up to him, and they started walking forward, looking around for more armed men. Aqualad, Aquagirl and Tempest followed behind them.

"It's too quiet," Aqualad said.

"I agree. I don't like it."

"Look out!" Robin said, pushing Nightwing out of the way. More assilants came down from the ceiling, and they quickly got back up and started to attack them, watching as Aqualad, Aquagirl and Tempest did the same.

"So, you do care," Nightwing told Robin, with a grin plastered on his face. Robin growled.

"No! If you anything happened to you, Batman would be hell to deal with."

"I know what you mean. Love you, too, Robin."

"I hate you. I hate you," he chanted back, taking a USB drive from the man he had taken down.

"Good work," Nightwing said, watching as he put it in his belt.

"It's a least something to go off of," Aquagirl said.

"Yeah, but this was supposed to be a covert mission," Tempest replied.

"In all fairness, all of our missions are. Batman's just used to it."

"We got what we needed. Let's go check on the others."

They rushed back to the others, where Connor, M'gann and Batgirl looked over Zatanna, who looked as though she were healed.

"How are you?" Nightwing asked, bending down next to Zatanna. She gave him a weak smile.

"I'm fine."

"We need to move," he said. "If they realize we're down here…"

"Nightwing's right. Let's move."

They quickly ran out of the building and back to the bioship. As soon as they were all onboard, M'gann quickly took off back to Happy Harbor.

Talia waited until they left.

"M'lady, I don't know how they got in here."

"I want this place destroyed," she said, turning her head towards him. "They fell for the decoy like I knew they would."

"How did you know that?"

"Because I _know_ Batman," she replied, looking back at the view. "This place is of nothing to us. The children believe they've discovered this place, and the Justice League will come to investigate and believe the building blew. They'll think it's of no use to us anymore. Destroy it, per Ra's al Ghul's orders."

"Right away, m'lady," the man said, bowing.

* * *

"Hey, Barb," Jason said, opening the manor door.

"Hi. Where's Dick?"

"Where he usually is. Right in front of the mirror," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Why do I even ask?" she said, shaking her head. "C'mon, let's go mess with him."

"You're the best, Barbie," he replied with a grin, following her up the stairs. His door was closed, and she softly knocked on it, watching as he opened it.

"Hey, Babs. Just about ready."

"You were supposed to be ready by now."

"I'm about done," he replied, combing his hair in front of his mirror.

"You seriously took forever to get ready for a day at the beach?" Barbara asked, narrowing her eyes.

"He thinks he looks good," Jason said, standing next to her.

"I do look good."

She shook her head, while Jason mouthed "no". Dick glared down at him.

"You just wait until you're sixteen."

"Except you're not sixteen yet, big head," Barbara said, and he turned to her.

"A month away," he replied, while she shook her head again. "Close enough."

"Let's go, Boy Wonders."

They nodded, picked up their bags, and walked with her down to the cave. They then hopped on their bikes and drove off to the booth, racing one another along the way. When they finally arrived they parked their bikes in the garage and used the zeta tube to get to the cave.

"I think they're out on the beach already."

"C'mon," Barbara said, leading them out there. They walked outside and spotted the rest of the team sitting out there.

"There's those batkids!" Wally said, looking up.

"Hello, Wally," Batgirl said, smiling at him as she sat down next to Artemis.

"Tell me, how do you three swim with glasses on?"

"Not easily," Robin replied, flicking his own.

"Trying not to change the subject here, but it's Wally's last day of freedom," Nightwing said, bobbing his head to the side. Wally glared at him.

"Shut up."

"We'll miss you," Batgirl said, ruffling his hair.

"Senior year," he said, stretching his arms out. "So happy about that."

"Do you go half-day?"

"Yup," Wally said, pulling his schedule out. "I can technically graduate early if I wanted to, but I decided to finish out the whole year."

"What about you, Art?" Nightwing asked, turning to her. "Know your schedule yet?"

"Yeah. I have to go all day."

"Sorry to hear that," Batgirl said, placing her hand on her arm.

"It's ok. One more year and Wally and I will have graduated."

"And then what will you do?" Kaldur asked, and they turned to look at each other.

"We're still thinking about that."

Barbara stood up and started walking the beach, smiling softly to herself as she felt the sand between her toes.

It felt so good.

"Where are you taking off to?" Wally asked, speeding up next to her. She didn't lose her smile.

"Nowhere. Just wanted to walk the beach."

"I feel ya," he replied, walking alongside her. "It's nice to clear your head sometimes."

"It is," she replied, looking out towards the ocean. "Can I ask you something?"

"Fire away, red."

"How did you figure out Nightwing's identity?"

He grinned. "It was about when he was twelve. Sort of like how you figured it out. Started putting pieces together, and I was able to put two and two together. Took me some time, but I figured it out."

"What was Batman's reaction when you figured it out?"

He let out a breath. "Man, I thought I'd never hear the end of it. You can't hide anything from him. Got lectured for a long time about how important their identities were. I've never told anyone."

"That's not true," she said softly, and he turned to look at her. "You accidently told Artemis last Christmas."

"Right," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm kind of glad Nightwing took the fall for that. He's used to getting lectured."

She laughed. "You have no idea."

"Still, though, I've never seen Nightwing as happy as the day you were recruited as Batgirl."

A smile lit her face, and she found that she couldn't shake it. "Did you ever hear that story?"

"I didn't, actually."

"You thought you got lectured," she replied, continuing to walk forward.

"What'd you do?"

"You may not know this, but it was you who helped me piece everything together."

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "Nightwing got on me."

"My mind wouldn't stop going," she continued on. "I wanted so much to prove it, and I knew they wouldn't tell me. So I managed to hack into the personal communications that Batman uses, and I heard him order Robin to GCPD. I went with my father to the precinct that night, and I cornered him on the rooftop. I still couldn't get him to crack, so I gave him something that I knew either would make him crack, or that wouldn't."

"What'd you give him?"

"My necklace," she said, pointing to her chest. "The one he gave me for my birthday. I put it into his hand and I walked out of sight, but still close enough to see his reaction. When he figured out what it was, I knew I had him."

"What happened next?"

"I was mad at him for hiding it from me. When he finally cornered me, and explained everything, I felt all of that anger go away. After all of that, all I wanted to do was help. I wanted to work with them. They protect Gotham, my father protects Gotham, Emily saves people in the hospital, I wanted to help, too. I always told dad that I wanted to join the GCPD after graduation, but he forbid it. I still have that ambition, so, when I found out about Robin, I made up my mind, too. I put a mask on my face and walked out of my apartment. I heard that a woman was getting robbed, so I went to take down the robber, and I almost did before Batman and Robin stepped in.

"They both got so mad at me. Batman gave me the ultimatum: either I stop and he wouldn't tell my father what I did, or he'd tell him. I wasn't giving up, though. I had too much ambition to save the city. Robin knew it. I still don't understand how he was able to convince Batman, but I started training that night. He told me that, if I got through training and didn't disobey any more of his orders, then he would consider taking me in. Finally, he did, just as we got a new Robin."

He chuckled slightly, turning to look out at the ocean. "You have a brilliant mind, you know that?"

"So do you," she said back. "I mean, you replicated your uncle's accident to become Kid Flash."

"Not without consequence," he replied somberly. "I could have died."

"Nightwing stressed that to me, too. He was afraid that I'd get seriously hurt, or killed."

"He cares about you a lot," he said, and the smile returned to her face. "You were his first friend after his parents were killed."

"He was my first friend after my mother left. We needed each other."

"And Robin?"

She let out a deep breath. "A father who really wasn't a father, and a drug-addicted mother who died of an overdose. He needs us, too."

"Where is his dad?"

"In prison for life. He says he never really met the man, but I think he's lying. I don't think he wants to remember him. It's his business, though, and I'm not going to get involved."

"He cares a lot about you, too."

"Don't I know it," she replied with a small laugh. "Are you coming to his party?"

"Artemis and I will both be there," he replied. "Although, I think we might be partied out after that."

"We still have Nightwing's to get through."

"I will seriously be partied out."

She let out a laugh. "Wally, you're a really good friend. Nightwing may mess with you, but he values your friendship more than anything."

"In times like these, I think we all need each other," he replied, and she smiled when he gave her a one-armed hug.

* * *

The sunlight glowing through his bedroom woke Jason up. Sitting up in his bed, he rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to focus as he did so.

It was his birthday today.

He let out a soft sigh as he looked out the window. His party was tomorrow night, but he knew Dick and Barbara had something planned for today.

Throwing the blankets off, he stood up and walked to his bathroom, deciding to get cleaned up early before breakfast. Once he was ready, he walked downstairs and met with Bruce, Dick and Alfred in the kitchen, immediately spotting that Alfred had made chocolate-chip pancakes, his favorite breakfast.

"Happy birthday, Master Jason!" Alfred said.

"Happy birthday, Jason," Bruce said, putting his tablet down.

"Thank you," he replied softly, watching as Alfred put his breakfast in front of him.

"Happy birthday, brother," Dick said, squeezing his shoulder.

"Dick and Barbara have plans for you today, and tonight we're all going to go out for dinner."

"And tomorrow's your party."

"Joy," he replied, taking a bite of his pancakes.

"You'll love it!"

Jason looked at him, but Dick couldn't keep the grin off of his face. Bruce shook his head as he took another bite of his breakfast.

"Happy birthday, Jason. I hope it's a good one for you."

"It definitely will be," Dick replied.

* * *

"Hey, Babs," Dick said, opening the door to the manor. She walked in. "You're here early."

"Thought I'd come by for a while before we went to the movies. How's Jay doing?" she asked, following him to the informal living room.

"He's been relatively quiet today," Dick said, looking over at Jason, who swam back and forth in the pool.

"It's his first birthday here, Dick. It has to be a little weird."

"Drove yourself out here, did ya?" he asked, changing the subject. She smiled.

"I sure did."

"Man, I can't wait to get mine."

"Not much longer," she replied, turning away from the window. "Why don't we go join him out there?"

"Did you bring your suit?"

"Yup. It's out in the car. I'll go get it and get changed."

He nodded before turning away from each other. Quickly running upstairs, he changed into his trunks before making his way out to the pool area, waiting on Barbara to join them.

"Barbara's here," he said, watching as Jason swam to the edge before pulling himself out of the pool. "Enjoy your swim?"

"I guess," he replied with a shrug, shaking his hair out.

"Shoot. I forgot my towel. I'll be right back," Dick said, before turning back into the manor. Barbara walked out a minute later, smiling at Jason.

"Happy birthday, Jay," Barbara said, kissing his head. He blushed.

"Thanks, Barbie."

"Are you excited for your party tomorrow?"

"Not really."

"It'll be fun," she reassured him. "You'll like your present I got for you."

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"Yes, I did. My little birdie turned fourteen today. I definitely had to get you something."

"Thanks," he said softly, sitting down on the chair.

"It's so beautiful out here today," she said, holding her arms out. He grinned, and she raised an eyebrow. "I know what you're going to say."

"What am I going to say?"

"The only beautiful thing I see out here is you."

"No. I was going to say that you're beautiful."

"How did you get like this?" Dick walked up to them. "Oh, right, the king of flirting himself."

"What'd I walk in to?" he asked, furrowing his brow. He then shook his head. "Whatever. I'm getting in."

He stepped back a few steps before taking a running start. He then cannonballed into the pool, causing a big splash around them.

"I'll be in in just a second," she told Jason, who climbed onto the diving board and jumped in. She took her cover off, and Dick's mouth immediately went dry.

She was again wearing her two-piece suit.

She was going to make him go crazy wearing that.

"Something wrong?" she asked him, and he shook his head.

"Nothing. Going to get in?"

"Just a minute," she said, getting her sunblock out. She sprayed it over herself before she sat down on the edge, putting her feet into the water.

"Really? That's all the further you're coming in?"

"Will you give me a minute?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Dick and Jason looked at each other before grinning. "Don't you dare!"

They tugged on her arms and pulled her into the pool, grinning as she let out a loud scream. When she finally pulled herself over the water, she wiped her face off and glared at them.

"You two are horrible."

"It's a _pool_ , Babs. You're supposed to swim in it."

She rolled her eyes and splashed them, smirking when they laughed back in response. They floated in the water for a minute before Barbara spoke again.

"I can't believe we have to register for school next week."

"I'm not ready to go back," Jason said, leaning up against the wall of the pool.

"It won't be too bad," she said softly, rubbing his head. "So, birthday boy, what movie do you want to see today? It's your day."

He thought about it for a minute. "I don't know."

"Well, you can think about when we get there."

"Fourteen," Dick said, throwing him a grin. "Almost a year ago, we adopted him into our family."

"Why are you acting weird?" Barbara asked, furrowing her brow.

"Because he is weird," Jason replied, and Dick splashed him. She smiled and shook her head.

"Are you all having fun?" Alfred asked, placing some lemonades down on the table.

"Do these boys ever stop fighting, Alfred?" Barbara asked, holding herself up with her arms outside of the pool.

"It is very difficult to raise two teenage boys, Miss. Gordon," he replied with a soft smile. She laughed. "I made some lemonade for all of you."

"Thanks, Alfred," Jason said, getting out of the pool. He poured himself a glass and drank it.

"You're welcome, young sir."

Barbara pulled herself out, wringing her hair out with her hands. Dick found himself unable to look away as she walked up next to Jason and poured herself a cup. Jason told her a joke, and she started laughing, nearly spilling her cup in the process.

"What time are we going?" Jason asked, looking up at Barbara.

"Whenever you want to go," she replied, rubbing his head. "You need to decide what movie you want to see."

"I'll Google," he replied with a grin, grabbing his phone from the table. He sat down in one of the chairs as she walked up to Dick, tilting her head to the side.

"What are you staring at?"

"Nothing," he replied, looking down at the water. She slid in next to him.

"It's so hot out here today."

"I'll say," he replied, relaxing his arms outside of the pool.

"Picked one out," Jason said, putting his phone back on the table. "Starts at four."

"Good," she said, throwing him another smile. He sat down and put his feet into the pool, kicking them back and forth.

"This summer just flew by," Barbara said, looking out over the horizon.

"It did," Dick replied, leaning his head back. "We still have a few weeks to enough it, though."

"That's true," she said, a small smile lighting up her face. "What should we do in the meantime, boys?"

"Fight some major crime," Jason said, punching his fist in his hand.

"I'm with Jason."

She laughed. "That's what we do, right?"

"And we're the best at it," Dick replied with a grin, fist-bumping both of them.

"Well, Babs and I are," Jason said, cracking his knuckles. Barbara shook her head and smiled.

"And who do you think trained you?"

"Her."

"And who trained her?"

"Bruce."

"Don't make me beat you up on your birthday."

"Oh, you two," she said, shaking her head again. Jason finally hopped into the pool and swam underwater, appearing on the other side of the pool. Barbara followed behind him, as did Dick, and they began to have a contest about which one swam faster.

It was a very good training exercise.

"I'm going to get ready," Barbara said sometime later, hopping out of the pool. She grabbed for her towel and dried herself off, and Dick turned his head away, something that didn't go unnoticed by Jason. He waited until Barbara was out of sight before turning to him, a grin lighting up his face.

"Shut up, Jason."

"Nope."

"We all know you're the one who has the crush on her," Dick replied, pulling himself out of the pool. Jason glared at him as he also pulled himself out of the pool.

"I do not have a crush!"

"I believe you," he replied, rolling his eyes. They dried themselves off with their towels and walked back into the manor, going to their respective bedrooms as they did so. When Dick was ready he met Barbara downstairs.

"You look nice," he told Barbara.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile, smoothing her dress out. Jason walked down the stairs.

"Ready to go to the movies?"

"Can't wait!"

"Thank you for driving us, Alfred. Not much longer and I can take these two with me."

"I still can't believe you and Master Dick are sixteen," he replied, shaking his head. "Time flies, Miss. Gordon."

She smiled. "He's not sixteen yet. He always seems to forget that I'm older than him."

Dick glared at her. "Shut up, Gordon."

"Nope," she replied, sticking her tongue out. Jason grinned up at her.

"Get him, Barbie."

"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean I won't beat up on you," Dick said, giving him a playful shove. Barbara shook her head.

"It's his birthday, bird-for-brain. Leave him alone."

"You won't always have Barbara by your side," Dick told him, holding back a grin as Jason stuck his tongue out as they walked out the door. They walked down to Alfred's car and hopped in. When they arrived at the movie theater, they stepped out of the car and walked inside.

He would never come out and admit, but Dick and Barbara made his birthday fun.

* * *

"Happy birthday," Bruce said, standing outside of his bedroom. Jason nodded, refusing to look away from the mirror.

"Thanks."

"It won't be that bad," he replied, walking into the room. "A few hours of a party and it'll be all over."

Jason didn't reply, and Bruce stared down at him for a minute, trying to find the right words to say. "I know that you and I don't talk much, but if you ever need to-"

"I'm fine," he replied, turning to him. "I'm just a little nervous for the party."

"It'll be ok. You'll have fun."

He took a deep breath before turning around. "I'm ready."

Bruce led him downstairs to the ballroom. As soon as the doors opened, everyone screamed:

"Happy birthday, Jason!"

"Thank you!" he called out, smiling amongst the crowd of people. Barbara and Dick walked up to him.

"Happy birthday, little brother," he said, placing his hand on Dick's shoulder.

"Happy birthday, Jay."

"Thanks," he replied with a grin, feeling Bruce's hand slide onto his shoulder.

"Enjoy it," she whispered with a wink before disappearing off with Dick. Jason looked down for a minute.

"Go have fun for a change," Bruce encouraged, and he hid a smile as he walked into the ballroom. Looking around, he spotted several of his fellow classmates, alongside a few of Dick and Barbara's.

"Hey there, kid," Wally said, as he and Artemis walked up to him.

"Hey. Thanks for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it," he said, placing his hand on Jason's shoulder.

"Did you invite anyone special? Megan, maybe?"

"Maybe," he replied quietly, and she grinned at him.

"I think I see her out there."

"Don't embarrass him, Art. That's Dick's job."

"Yeah, don't take my job away from me," Dick replied, as he and Barbara walked up to them. "It's my job to pick on him."

"I hate you," Jason said, glaring at him.

"C'mon. Go mingle," Barbara said, pressing on his back. "It's your party."

"Ok," Jason replied, walking further into the ballroom.

"He's still a work in progress," Dick said, shaking his head. Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Leave him alone."

"Fine," he replied with a fake sigh. He handed her a cup of juice.

"Thanks."

"C'mon, babe, let's go dance," Wally said, leading Artemis out to the floor.

"They're really cute together."

"You didn't see them when they first met," he said, turning to face her. She laughed.

"Bicker back and forth, did they?"

"Constantly. About drove me insane."

"Sounds like us sometimes," she said, turning to face him. A smirk lit up the corners of his mouth.

"Sometimes," he replied.

* * *

"I don't know about you, but I could use some fresh air," Barbara said, walking up to Dick. He nodded.

"I agree. Come on, red."

He led her out of the ballroom and out of the doors to the manor. The moment she stepped outside she held her arms out and enjoyed the night, letting out a deep breath as she did so.

"It's so beautiful out here tonight," she said, as she and Dick began to walk around the grounds.

"A little warm," he replied, once they reached the pond, "but not bad."

"Think Jason's having a good time?"

"He's surrounded by girls. He's just fine."

She shook her head and sat down on the bench, watching as he sat next to her. They were silent for a minute.

"Can I ask you something? Something that has been on my mind?"

"Ask away," he replied, looking up.

"What made you decide to include me as Batgirl?"

He chuckled. "Other than you stopping a purse snatcher?"

"I'm serious. What made you change Bruce's mind?"

He smiled, and she, for whatever reason, couldn't keep one off her face. "I told him that you would do whatever it took to be out with us. You would go out on your own no matter what we told you. It must have triggered something in him."

"I never heard your opinion on that night. What did you think of me doing that?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"I wanted to scream you at," he replied, looking down. "You could have gotten yourself hurt."

"I know how to take care of myself, even back then."

"That's not the point," he whispered, finally raising his head up. "That man could have killed you."

She looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Better than what I did to become Robin, I guess."

She smiled softly. Someone coughed behind them, and they both jumped and turned around, spotting Wally and Artemis walking up to them.

"Hello, Wally, Artemis," Barbara said, standing up.

"Hello, Barbara, Dick."

"What are you two doing out here?" Wally asked.

"Getting some fresh air," Dick replied.

"Same," he replied, and Dick narrowed his eyes at him.

"I'm already partied out, and we still have one more birthday to get through," Barbara said, looking up at Dick.

"Mine will be awesome."

"Yours will be lame," Wally said. "Like usual."

Dick pressed his lips together, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "Did I ever tell you ladies how The Flash came vibrate through walls, but when Wally tries it, he gets a broken nose?"

"Dude!" Wally cried, pressing his hand to his face. Barbara and Artemis laughed.

"I've never heard that story. Thanks, Dick."

"I seriously hate you."

"No, you don't."

"They always do this," Artemis said, shaking her head.

"Because they're boys."

"Women," Dick said, shaking his head.

"I'm going to head back inside and check on Jay," Barbara said, and he nodded, watching as she followed Artemis back into the manor. Wally waited until they were out sight before turning back to Dick, grinning from ear to ear.

"You two were out here for a while."

"We wanted to get some fresh air," Dick said, leaning up against the tree.

" _Fresh air,_ huh?"

"Yes," he replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Just admit you're falling for Barbara," Wally said.

"I'm not falling for her!" he growled, turning back towards him.

"I don't know. You were staring pretty hard at the beach on Independence Day."

"Wally," he growled again. "She's my friend."

"Funny, I think I said the same thing about Artemis."

Dick pressed his hand to his head. "She. Is. My. Friend."

Wally stared at him, and he wanted to punch him in the face. Finally he turned on his heel.

"OK, Grayson. If you say so."

With that, he walked back to the manor. Dick let out a frustrated sigh as he continued to look out to the pond.

* * *

"Two birthdays down, one to go," Barbara said the following day, turning to look at Dick. He grinned at her.

"Mine will be the party of the year," he replied, rubbing his hands together.

"It always is, big head," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I won't be attending," Jason said, and Dick turned to him, rolling his eyes in the process.

"Don't make me make you go."

"What?" he replied, shaking his head.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you two," she replied, pressing her hand to her head.

"You don't have to do anything with us," Dick said, pressing on Jason's back. He fell to the floor and glared up at Dick, kicking his legs to drop him to the floor. They started fighting, and Barbara leaned against the Batcomputer, watching as they rolled around on the floor.

"Should I break this up?" she questioned herself, placing her finger on her cheek. "Nah."

"Enough!" Bruce said, pulling on the collars of their uniforms.

"Oh, hey, Bruce. Didn't see ya there," Dick replied, rubbing his neck once he was put down.

"Boys," Barbara said, shaking her head.

"Are we done now?" he asked, looking between the boys. They nodded.

"Yeah, we're done."

"Ugh," Barbara said, tugging on her suit.

"Something wrong?" Dick asked, furrowing his brow.

"I need to update my suit. It doesn't fit well anymore."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing," she said, blushing slightly.

"Just tell me."

"It's none of your concern, birdboy," she replied, turning away from him. He huffed.

"Women."

"Heard that," she replied, putting her cowl on.

"You were meant to."

"Gah, you two sound like an old married couple," Jason said, flipping his staff in his hand.

"And you must be our annoying, adopted child."

"Rude," he replied, glaring at Dick.

"Dick likes to talk about himself a lot," Barbara replied with a grin, and he glared at her.

"Har har."

"Remind me again why I have teenagers as partners?" Bruce asked, walking up to the Batcomputer.

"Technically, I started as a child," Dick replied, flipping his head to the side.

"We know, showoff," Barbara said, shoving his head.

"Any hunting tonight?" Dick asked, pushing Barbara's hand away. Bruce turned to him.

"There is," he replied, turning to the Batcomputer. "I have reasons to believe that Penguin has set up another arms-deal."

"Isn't he in prison?"

"He got out," Bruce said, and Dick rolled his eyes.

"Surprise, surprise."

"So, I'm guessing that's where we're going?" Jason said, tilting his head to the side.

"You and I will be," he replied, turning to face him. "Dick and Barbara are going somewhere else."

"Where's that?" Dick asked, furrowing his brow.

"There's strange activity going on in Chinatown. I want the two of you to investigate."

"Sounds like fun," he replied with a grin, watching as Barbara put her hand to her head.

"Can I go with Jay?"

"Nope," Dick said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You're stuck with me, BG."

"Report back to me with your findings."

"Will do, boss," Dick replied.

"Shall we, Jason?" Bruce asked, putting his cowl on. Jason put his own mask on.

"Good luck, Barbie."

"Go get 'em," she replied with a smile, ruffling his hair. He grinned up at her before joining Bruce in the car. When they left, she turned to Dick.

"Ok, Wingding, where are we going?"

"According to this, Bruce has been investigating a building near Falcone Shipping Yard. Shocking, right?"

"Totally," she replied, looking at the information on the computer. "Just like old times, huh? When I first started?"

"Robin and Batgirl," he replied with a grin. "I miss those days sometimes."

"You're the one who gave Robin up."

"I know," he replied softly, turning towards her. "I wanted Jay to have it. I just miss the fun missions with you sometimes."

"I feel honored," she replied with a smile, pinching his cheek. He blushed.

"Shut up," he muttered, and she laughed, enjoying this.

"Whenever you're ready to leave."

"Just a minute," he replied, typing on the computer. Her gauntlet beeped, and she opened it.

"Thanks."

"Yup," he replied, silencing his own. "Ready?"

"Is this a date, Grayson?" she asked, cranking her head to the side. He smirked.

"Would you like it to be, Gordon?" he asked, holding his hand out to her.

"Dick, Barbara, shouldn't you have left by now?" Alfred asked, walking up to the computer.

"Leaving right now, Alfie," Dick said, putting his mask on. They walked over to their bikes and hopped on, speeding their way off to Chinatown. They parked their bikes and grappled up to the roof, looking down below.

"I see people moving boxes," she said softly, throwing him a smirk. He gave her a look.

"Har har har."

"So, what boxes are they moving exactly?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"That's what we're here to find out," he replied with a grin. "We need to find a way to look inside those boxes."

"Leave that to me," she said, before grappling away.

"Batgirl!" he hissed, trying to get her back. He followed after her, watching as she landed on top of the building. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Trying to look inside the box. Duh," she replied, looking down below.

"Duh," he mimicked back, looking down below with her. "Ok, seven men and two of us."

"Hardly seems fair," she replied with a smirk. They grappled down and started to take down the men, finding it much easier than they thought they would.

"Let's take a look inside, shall we?" he asked, grabbing hold of the crowbar. He was just about to open the box when he caught something out of the corner of his eye, and he quickly pushed Batgirl out of the way.

"That doesn't belong to you."

"Oh, I think it does now," he replied, pulling his batarangs out. He quickly shot them off, watching as Batgirl did the same. Together they took down them down, jumping out of the way to avoid the gunshots.

"These guys have everything!"

"Probably working for Penguin," he said, pulling out more batarangs. She pulled out her smoke bombs and threw them, turning her detective vision on. She jumped out from behind the blockade and started to take down the unaware men, watching as Nightwing followed behind her.

"Come out little bat!" One of the men said, holding his knife out. She threw a batarang and knocked it out of his hand, watching as he turned her way and started to charge. She jumped over his head and kicked him in the back, watching as he fell to the ground.

"Argh!" Nightwing cried out, and she quickly rushed over to him.

"Hang on!" she said, knocking another man out. He attempted to help, but she immediately stopped him and took the remaining men down.

"I'm ok," he whispered, holding onto his side.

"You're bleeding badly," she whispered, looking at the wound. She quickly wrapped the wound. "You're going to need stitches."

"Bummer," he replied. "We need to finish this."

"I've called GCPD. They should be on their way."

"Doesn't help us with what's in this box," he replied, grabbing hold of the crowbar. He cracked the box open, and they looked inside, furrowing their brows.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, picking one of the packages up. They both looked over it. "There's a white rose in here."

"Falcone's calling card."

Sirens began to wail in the distance, and they quickly grappled up to the top of the building and looked down, watching as GCPD cars drove up.

"Got a sample," she said, showing him the vial. "We can run it through the computer."

"Good," he replied, clutching his side.

"We need to get you home. C'mon, I'll drive you."

"What about my bike?" he asked.

"Leave it. I'll have Robin drive it home. I'm driving."

He nodded, and they hopped on her bike. She drove as fast as she could back to the cave, wanting him to get the medical attention he needed.

"What happened?"

"He got cut badly," she said, helping him over to the bed. She helped Alfred remove the top of his suit, ignoring his six-pack as she assisted Alfred.

"Like what you're seeing, Gordon?"

"Shut up, you idiot," she replied, holding the gauze to his wound. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy."

"You're lost a lot of blood, Master Dick," Alfred said, putting gloves on.

"Take it easy," she whispered, pressing her hand against his cheek. He smiled tiredly at her.

"You don't need to worry about me."

"Hard not to when you're always getting yourself hurt," she joked, and he laughed.

"Usually it's me watching your back and Jason's back."

"Which means that yours is usually left open," she replied softly, rubbing his cheek with the back of her hand.

"Got to give you something to worry about."

"Whatever," she replied with a small laugh, looking away from Alfred as he began to stitch Dick up. "Hey, do you remember all those years ago, when Emily brought me out to the manor, and then she went to work? I stayed the night here for the first time, and we watched all those Disney movies. We ate so much pizza and popcorn, and I'm pretty sure we drove Alfred up the wall."

Alfred tried to hide a smile, but it was clearly evident on his face. "If I remember correctly, Master Dick slipped some candy past me, and you both were running around the manor playing hide-and-seek at eight-o-clock at night."

"And Alfred was the one who couldn't find us," Dick replied with a grin. Barbara laughed.

"You two were quite the troublemakers," he replied, continuing his work. "Still are today."

"I resent that," he replied with a laugh.

"Now we have another partner-in-crime," Barbara said.

"Yeah," Dick replied, and she gently rubbed his head as he struggled to stay awake.

"Get some sleep," she whispered, watching as Alfred turned and walked away. She ran her hand across his cheek, watching as his eyes closed.

"G'night, Babs," he said, falling asleep the next second. Alfred walked back up to them.

"I'm going to see if Bruce and Jason need my help," she said, pushing Dick's hair out of his face. "Unless you need my help with him."

Alfred chuckled. "I can handle the young master. Go help Bruce and Jason."

"Ok, Alfred," she replied, putting her gloves back on. She then put her cowl back on and looked back down at Dick. She bid goodbye to Alfred before she jumped back on her bike and drove off.

* * *

"I'm not ready for this," Dick replied, yawning. "This summer went by way too fast."

"Think of it this way: three more years of schooling and you'll be officially done," Bruce said.

"That's true!" Dick said, rubbing his hands together. "So ready to be done."

"Don't be in a hurry to grow up, young sir," Alfred said, putting his breakfast in front of him. "Once it goes, you can't get it back."

"More wise words from Master Yoda," Dick said, bowing his head in respect. Alfred shook his head, but a small smile was plastered onto his face.

"Hurry up now. We need to get to your school," Bruce said, and he nodded, starting in on his breakfast. After they ate breakfast, they brushed their teeth and met Bruce down by his car.

"Who's driving?"

"You are," he said, throwing Dick the keys. Jason groaned.

"He's a terrible driver."

"He'll get better in time," Bruce reassured him, and Dick narrowed his eyes at Jason before they all got into the car. "Because, when Dick gets his license and can drive people around, he will be the one driving you to school. Alfred will no longer be taking either of you."

"Hear that, Jay? _I_ drive you to school when I can."

"Somebody please help me," he said, shaking his head.

When they arrived at Gotham Academy, Dick parked the car and they all got out. A grin spread on Dick's face as he spotted a familiar redhead standing near the door.

"Babs!" Dick said, throwing her a grin. "I've missed you!"

"In the twenty-four hours that I haven't seen you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Exactly."

"C'mon. Let's get all three of you registered," Jim said, lightly pushing on Barbara's back. They all walked to the auditorium, and Dick, Jason and Barbara sat around while Jim and Bruce filled out their paperwork. They waited in silence until the two men finally walked up to them.

"You're all registered. Go pick your schedules, books, and go to your lockers."

They nodded and walked up to the schedule table, spotting a middle-aged woman handing out schedules. Barbara walked up first.

"Barbara Gordon. Sophomore."

"Miss. Gordon," the woman said, looking through the 10th grade holder. "Ah, here it is."

"Thanks," she said, taking her schedule from her.

"Name, please?" the woman asked.

"Richard Grayson. Sophomore."

She looked through the 10th grade holder. "Here you go, Mr. Grayson."

"Thank you," he said taking it from her.

"Name?"

"Jason Todd. Eighth grade."

She moved two holders down and searched through it. "Here we go."

"Thank you," he said, taking it from her.

"That's all of us," Dick said. "Ready to go get books?"

"I guess so," Jason replied, and Barbara ruffled his hair before they took off to book rental. Once they collected all of their books, they took off towards their lockers, starting with Jason's.

"Here's your locker, Jay," Barbara said. He opened it and put his books inside.

"I'm not liking this schedule," he said, looking over it again.

"It won't be that bad. At least gym's your last class of the day."

"True," he replied, folding the schedule in half. "Your turn."

"Let's see here," Barbara said, pulling her own schedule out. "Locker 106."

"109," Dick replied with a grin. "Look at that, Gordon."

"Great," she replied with a fake sigh, shaking her head. "I can't get away from you."

They walked up the stairs and to their lockers, putting their own books inside of them. Once the lockers were closed, they turned to each other.

"Any classes?" he asked, looking between the two schedules.

"Looks like we have Chemistry together. Oh no."

"That'll be fun!" he said, rubbing his hands together.

"Good luck, Barbie."

"I am in so much trouble," she replied, shaking her head.

"We have Algebra II together, too," Dick said, looking at the schedules. "That's good, because I'll need your help."

"Are we all done here?" she asked, putting her own schedule into her purse. They nodded.

They returned to the auditorium to find Jim and Bruce waiting for them. Saying goodbye to one another, they returned home with their respective guardians, all three completely in disbelief by how fast this summer had gone by.

And they were unaware of how much would change within the next year.


	15. Realization

"I haven't missed these uniforms," Jason said, when Dick walked into his room. Dick laughed.

"Look how much you've grown over the summer," he replied, looking at Jason's old uniforms. "Man, you better not wind up taller than me."

"And if I do?" he asked, turning to look at his brother.

"You won't."

Jason glared at him before turning back to his mirror. Dick smirked, as Jason eyed him from the mirror.

"What?"

"You're getting all gussied up for no reason."

"Gussied up? I'm getting ready for school nitwit."

"Getting ready for Megan's more like it."

"Is not!"

"Or Barbara."

"GET OUT!"

"Now, now," Dick said, watching as Jason glared up at him. "Don't be so mad."

"Get moving!" Bruce called from the hallway. They grabbed for their bags and followed him down the stairs.

"Good morning, young sirs," Alfred said, putting their breakfasts in front of them.

"Morning, Alfred," they echoed back.

"Good luck today at your first day of school."

"Ugh," Jason replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Might want to give him some coffee, Alfred."

"Hang in there, Jason. You'll get used to it again."

"I'm not hungry, Alfred," he replied, pushing his plate forward.

"You need to eat something, sir," he replied, but Jason shook his head.

"I'm really not hungry."

"Probably just nerves, Alfie," Dick said, squeezing Jason's shoulder. "Besides, he gets to see Megan again."

"Shut up!" Jason replied, glaring daggers at him. Dick was grinning.

"Oh, you _do_ have a crush on her!"

"SHUT UP!" Jason cried out, throwing his napkin at him.

"Enough," Bruce said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Dick, leave him alone."

"Oh, I will," he replied, and Jason continued to glare at him.

"I'm going to get my bag," he said, getting out of his seat.

"Finish up, Dick. We need to get moving soon."

He nodded, and quickly finished his breakfast. He went upstairs to brush his teeth and grab for his bag before meeting Bruce and Jason in the garage.

"You're driving," Bruce said, giving him the keys. Jason shook his head.

"Am I being punished for something?"

"Better get used to it. In six months, Dick will be driving you to and from school."

Dick grinned at him, and Jason slapped his hand to his head. They all got into the car, and he drove off to school, parking into one of the parking spots.

"Good job," Bruce said, once he got out of the car. "Good luck today, both of you."

"Thanks, Bruce," they echoed. They turned and walked into the school, smiling softly when they spotted the familiar redhead waiting for them.

"Happy first day of school!" Barbara said, handing them cups.

"So not fair. You can stop by Starbucks on your way to school. Me? I have to wait six months then lug the kid around."

"Hate you, too, Grayson," Jason replied, crossing his arms.

"Well, _I_ can drive, so _I_ can stop by Starbucks on my way to school and get us some coffees," she replied, and he gave her a playful glare.

"Thanks, Gordon," he said, taking a drink of his own.

"I better go," Jason said, and they bid him goodbye before he took off. Barbara turned to Dick.

"Ready for our first day of Sophomore year?"

"Let's do this," he replied with a grin, and they walked off to their class.

* * *

"Hi there, kiddo," Barbara said, sitting next to Jason at lunch. "How's your first day going?"

"Boring," he replied, taking a bite of his corn. "Have you seen Artemis?"

"She should be here any minute."

"Where's Dick?"

"Oh, he's flirting with that girl over there," she said, pointing her fork over to where Dick and a brunette-haired girl were standing.

"Hi," Artemis said, sitting down opposite them.

"Hey, Art. How's senior year?"

"Good, actually. Most of my classes are electives, so I'm actually enjoying them for a change."

"That's good," Barbara said, throwing her a smile. "So, have you and Wally thought about your college yet?"

"We have, actually. We checked a few out colleges that we really like and we're going to apply to them soon."

"And what about MJ?"

"That's a good question," she replied softly. "We're still thinking about it."

"Thinking about it?" she asked softly, furrowing her brow. Artemis pressed her lips together.

"Wally and I are thinking about retirement after we graduate."

Jason's mouth fell open as a look of shock fell on Barbara's face. Artemis remained quiet as she waited for their response.

"Wow," Barbara replied, leaning back in her seat.

"Listen, don't tell Dick. Not until Wally and I know for certain. Wally wants to be the one to tell him."

"We won't," she replied, looking over at Jason, who nodded in agreement. "As happy as I am for you and Wally, I'll miss you like crazy."

"I'd miss you, too," she said, throwing her a smile.

"Oh, hey, Art," Dick said, sitting down next to her.

"Hello, Dick. How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Too good, apparently," Barbara said, and he looked at her.

"What's that mean?"

"Who's the girl you flirted with this time?"

"I can't talk to girls without flirting?"

"You? No."

"Jealous, Babs?"

"So, Jason, how's the eighth grade?" Artemis asked, changing the subject. Jason shrugged.

"It's ok."

"It'll get better," she reassured him.

"I bet you're counting down the days until freedom," Dick said, grinning at her.

"This close," she replied, using her fingers to illustrate. "Then freedom."

"Then college," Barbara reminded her.

"True," she said, smiling softly.

* * *

"Are you both ready?" Bruce asked, putting his cowl on. Dick and Jason nodded.

"Ready."

"Let's move," he replied, and he and Jason got into the Batmobile while Dick climbed on his bike. The drove off to the city, and parked their bikes in an alleyway before grappling up to a building. Batman and Nightwing stood on the roof while Robin sat on the upper building.

"Fly like a bird!" Nightwing said, and Robin glared down at him.

"Shut up."

"Moody," he replied, throwing him a sideways grin. Batman stared down at the city below him.

"Where's Batgirl? She makes working with you bearable."

"You know, I don't know," Nightwing said, looking around. "I thought she'd be out with us tonight."

"You probably made her mad again."

"Not that I'm aware of," he replied, furrowing his brow.

"Why do you boys always think I'm mad?" Batgirl asked, tilting her head to the side as she stared down at them.

"Oh, there you are."

"What's going on tonight?" she asked, hopping down to join them on the roof.

"Nothing as of yet," Batman replied. "It's still early, but Victor Zsasz broke out of prison last night. I've been trying to find him with no luck."

"We'll find him," Robin replied.

"I know we will," Batgirl replied, rubbing his head.

"There's gang activity around Market. Let's move," Batman said, jumping down. They quickly followed after him, traveling over to Market Street. When the gang members were taken down, Batman's scanner started going off.

" _There has been no word from Commissioner Gordon. He went to go assist Taren with an assignment."_

"Dad," Batgirl whispered, looking away.

"We'll find him," Batman reassured her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He then put his finger to his ear. "Alfred, any sign of Jim?"

"None, sir, and a few other GCPD officers have gone missing."

"Can you locate anything?"

"I might be able to," Batgirl said, peeking up. He turned to look at her. "I put a tracker his radio."

"Good call. Can you trace it? It's a start."

"I'm going to try," she said, pulling her gauntlet up. After a minute, she got a ping. "Got him."

"Let's move. I think Zsasz might be involved."

Batgirl looked away, and Nightwing gently tugged on her arm. "We'll find him."

"I hope so," she breathed out, jumping down from the building. They quickly drove off and parked a few blocks from the building, and they grappled up to the top of the nearest one.

"Do you see anything?" Batgirl asked, worry filling her.

"Can't see much. There are definitely people in there."

"Robin and I can go in through the top," Nightwing said. Batman nodded.

"Do it. Batgirl and I will go through the upper windows."

They nodded, and grappled away. Batman turned to Batgirl.

"We're getting him out."

"I know we will," she replied, before pulling her grapnel out. When they entered through the window, they met up with Nightwing and Robin.

"There they are," Nightwing whispered, looking down at the group of people being held hostage.

"Dad," Batgirl whispered, spotting her father.

"I don't see anyone in here," Robin whispered, looking around. They all jumped down.

"Are you ok, Jim?" Batman asked, removing the ropes. He stood up and rubbed his wrists.

"I'll be fine. Some of my officers need medical attention. Has word broken out about this?"

"Not yet. GCPD is keeping it repressed for now, but it's bound to break any minute. Who did this to you?"

"Zsasz. Minken and Ryan were able to find him, but they were taken. When we lost contact, Taren and I went to investigate. Same thing happened to us. We have no idea how he did it."

"Where's the other officer?"

"We don't know. We woke up like this."

"Stay put. He might be here. Robin, stay with the officers. You two follow me."

They nodded, and Nightwing and Batgirl followed behind Batman. He opened the door, his brow furrowing in confusion as they looked around.

"Where is he?"

"Right here, Batman!" Zsasz said, holding the officer hostage. "Come any closer, and I'll slit his throat."

"Let him go," he ordered.

"I can't do that. I need the kill. I need the mark!"

"Let him go, Zsasz!" he ordered again, stepping closer.

"I will do it, Batman!"

"No, you won't," Robin said, flying a batarang at Zsasz's hand. The knife flew out of it, and Batman quickly advanced on him, taking him out as fast as possible. Batgirl and Nightwing attended to the cop.

"All yours, Jim," Batman said, pushing Zsasz to him once he walked into the room.

"Take him away!" he ordered, watching as one of the officers grabbed hold of him. "Taren, are you ok?"

"I'll be ok, boss," he muttered, hunched over.

"Help him out," Batman ordered to Batgirl and Nightwing, who nodded in agreement. "Are you ok?"

"Taren's the only one who's hurt. We all just have minor injuries."

"Could have been a lot worse with Zsasz."

"I agree. Thanks, Batman."

Batman turned to Robin, who was waiting in the corner for him. Once he noticed his arrival, he looked up.

"Mad at me? Gordon told me to come in here."

"Good work."

"What?" Robin asked, looking up in shock.

"Good work. You saved the officer."

"Oh," he replied, still in shock.

"Good job," Batgirl said, winking at him. Batman turned and walked back over to Jim.

"Where's Nightwing?"

"Good question. Nightwing?" she called out, her heart beating in her chest as she looked around for him. "Nightwing?!"

A hand touched her shoulder, and she quickly grabbed hold of it and pulled the person over her shoulder and to the floor. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Nightwing!"

"Nice to see you, too, Batgirl," he coughed out, somehow grinning up at her. Robin walked up to them, a grin evident on his face.

"Man, I love watching you kick his ass."

"Language, Robin. What happened here?" Batman asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"A misunderstanding," she replied, helping Nightwing up. "You probably have a broken rib, you idiot."

"I'm good," he replied, still grinning at her.

"I want you and Robin to go investigate a robbery at Kirk's Jewerly on Main Street. Batgirl and I are going to investigate another robbery not far away."

They nodded, and turned away. Batgirl turned to Batman.

"You and I?"

"I want to see how you're doing. Your adrenaline's probably high after your father was taken."

"I'm fine," she replied.

"I want to see how you're doing anyway."

"Ok," she replied, hopping onto her bike. She followed him to the building.

"Take the window," he ordered, and she nodded. He pulled out his grapnel and climbed to the roof. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her own out and climbed to the ledge. She then opened the window and looked down below, watching as several men tried to break into the safe below.

"You really don't want to do that," Batgirl said, and the criminals turned in fear. Then they laughed.

"Oh, it's the girl."

"This should be easy."

"Oh, you're trying to tick me off," she replied, jumping down. They pulled out their guns, knives and bats, and she looked around.

"On your mark, boys."

"Get her!"

She quickly jumped out of the way and avoided the gunshots. Pulling a smoke bomb out, she quickly threw it to the floor, turning her detective vision on. She quickly took out the men with the guns, clicking her tongue when the smoke began to lift. Pulling the ropes out, she threw them at another man's feet, watching as he stumbled and fell to the floor. The smoke cleared, and she quickly turned her vision off, watching as the remaining men started lunging at her. One from behind grabbed hold of her shoulder, and she winced in pain.

"Shit! Batman!"

Batman landed on the floor, and they quickly lunged at him. She swallowed as the pain in her arm began to intensify, but she didn't let it stop her from assisting him in taking one of the men down. When he took the remainder of the men down, he moved to her.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," she said, looking away from him.

"No, you're not. What happened?"

"He grabbed on to it, and it started hurting."

He carefully grabbed on to her arm, watching as she hissed in pain. Carefully pulling the top of suit back, he looked at her shoulder.

"A little bruised. I don't think it's broken or dislocated."

"That's good," she said, pulling her suit back up. "How's Robin and Nightwing?"

"They're fine. They're working on something for me."

"You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad?"

"I thought I could do this alone. If you hadn't intervened-"

"Batgirl, you did well. If I hadn't intervened, your brain would have gone to work and I have no doubt that you would have done this on your own. There are times when you will be outnumbered, but you will figure it out."

"Thanks," she said, looking away.

"Robin and Nightwing are investigating another robbery at a jewelry store. Let's go join them, if you're up for it."

"I'm up for it," she said, and he nodded his head as he walked back out the door. She followed behind him and climbed onto her bike, following the Batmobile to the location. She parked next to Dick's bike and followed Batman to the alleyway where Nightwing and Robin were waiting for her.

"What'd you find out?"

"The robbery was done cleanly. It's almost like no one was in there. Security cameras were wiped and not much was broken."

"The cops think it's Catwoman," Robin said, and Batman bit his cheek.

"You don't," he said, turning to Nightwing. He bobbed his head.

"It has all the characteristics, but I have the feeling someone else did this, and is setting Catwoman up."

"Have you talked to her lately?"

"No, actually. She's been out of town."

"Cops are blaming her for this, Batman. If she didn't do it, then she's innocent and they'll be arresting the wrong person."

"I'll see if I can get ahold of her," Batman said, turning on his heel. "You three go home."

They nodded, and Batman returned to the Batmobile and drove off. Robin turned to Batgirl.

"Get some sleep, ok? You look exhausted," she said, looking at his eyes.

"I'll try. You do the same, Batsy."

"I will," she replied with a smile. He walked over to Nightwing's bike and waited there.

"You ok?" he asked, watching as she grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"Hurt it a bit ago. I'll be fine."

"Get home safe," he replied, looking at her shoulder. She smiled softly.

"I will. Oh, and I wanted to be the first to say it."

"Say what?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Happy birthday, wingnut," she said, a laugh escaping her. She kissed his cheek before she turned and hopped on her bike. He smiled softly to himself as he hopped on his own with Jason and started back to the manor.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Master Richard," Alfred said, once Dick showed up in the kitchen.

"Thanks, Alfie," he replied, taking the plate from him.

"Sixteen. Hard to believe it was almost eight years ago we took you in."

"I haven't been too much trouble, have I?"

He laughed. "No. You've grown into the man Master Bruce, and I'm sure your parents, wanted you to become."

"Well, I don't think my parents would be too thrilled about me being a costumed crime-fighter."

"Maybe not," he replied, watching as Jason entered the kitchen. "Master Jason."

"Alfred," he replied, sitting at the table. "Happy birthday, wingnut."

"Thanks," he replied, glaring at him. "Barbara text you to tell me that?"

"Came from in here," he replied, pressing his finger to his head.

"That's why it was so lame."

Jason glared at him. "I hate you."

"Now, boys," Alfred said, putting Jason's plate in front of him. "Let's settle down now."

"Where's Bruce?" Jason asked, looking around.

"He came in late, and he's still down in the cave."

"Of course he is," Dick replied, shaking his head.

"Morning," Bruce said, walking into the kitchen. Alfred handed him a cup of coffee. "Happy birthday, Dick."

"Thanks, Bruce," he replied.

"Tomorrow morning we'll go to the DMV for your driving test, then you'll party will start at eight tomorrow night."

"Cool," he replied, and Jason shook his head.

"We're doomed."

"You're doomed if you keep this up."

"Stop," Bruce said, biting into his breakfast. "Can't the two of you go one morning without arguing?"

They looked at each other. "No."

* * *

"Let's wait here for Babs," Dick said, sitting down at the bench. Jason sat down next to him.

"Happy birthday," Artemis said, walking up to him.

"Thanks, Art."

"Sixteen. I guess I should be scared that you can drive now."

"You sound like Barbara," Dick said, narrowing his eyes as Jason laughed behind his hand.

"Hard to tell you're brothers," she replied, looking between them.

"Not," Jason replied, and Dick grinned at him.

"Never forget, Art. _I'm_ the oldest."

"I hate you."

"I'm the youngest, too. I know how you feel," Artemis said, patting his shoulder.

"Shoot. I need to go to my locker," Jason said, and Artemis stood up with him.

"I'll go with you. Happy birthday, Dick."

"Thanks," he replied, watching as they walked away. He waited for a few minutes before Barbara finally walked up to him.

"Good morning," she said, sitting down next to him.

"Morning, Babs."

"Happy birthday, big head."

"Thanks," he replied, rolling his eyes at her. She grinned.

"How does it feel to be sixteen?"

"Different," he replied, looking around. "I mean, we can drive now."

"In a little over two years we'll be high school graduates."

"Wow," he said, letting out a whistle. "Time's flying, Barb."

"It is," she replied, sitting next to him. "We'll be high school graduates, and Jason will be a sophomore and driving himself."

"That's a scary thought," he muttered to himself, and she slapped the back of his head, a small smile on her face.

"You are so terrible."

"I know," he replied with a grin, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ready for your party?"

"I guess," he replied with a shrug. "I'm just glad you'll be there."

"I'm always here," she replied, grabbing hold of his hand.

"Gross," Jason replied, gagging.

"There you are!" Barbara said, standing up. She walked over and gave him a hug, watching as he squirmed against her.

"Babs!" he cried, trying to break free. Dick was grinning behind them.

"This is too good."

"Ok, I've tortured you enough," she replied, rubbing his head. He glared at her.

"Not cool."

"I'm sorry," she replied, throwing him a smile.

"How's your shoulder?" Dick asked her, watching as she moved it around.

"It's good, but Emily was really suspicious this morning. She noticed I was in pain."

"Could have been worse," he replied, moving her top to check out her shoulder. "You could have broken it."

"That's true," she replied softly, biting her lip when his hand gently massaged it. "Ouch."

"Sorry," he said, removing his hand. "It looks so much better than it did last night."

"Good. Last thing I need is Emily checking out suspicious bruises."

"Hang in there, Babs," Dick said, rubbing her arm. "Anyway, we have our first math test today."

"I'm ready for it. Are you?"

"Completely," he replied, and Jason shook his head.

"Jay, did Dick study for our test last night?"

"No. He was on the phone with some girl setting up a-"

"Shut up!" Dick said, pushing him away. Barbara raised an eyebrow.

"Setting up a date? Is that what you were saying?" she asked, bending down to Jason, who was rubbing his arm.

"Yeah. He has a date."

Dick bit his cheek and looked away. A smirk fell on Barbara's lips.

"When is it?"

"Sunday," he hissed out, glaring down at Jason. "Jasmine called me up asking if we could go out on a date."

"Oh, she did, did she?" Barbara asked, cranking her head to the side. "Are you going to go on a date with her?"

"Yeah, actually, we're going out Sunday afternoon."

"Well, I hope you have a good time," she said, turning away from him. She bent back down to Jason. "How's Megan?"

"Fine," he replied, blushing slightly. "She doesn't like her classes this semester."

"Do you have any with her?"

"English and gym."

"Then I bet she likes them more than she's saying," Barbara replied, rubbing his head. "We should probably get to class."

* * *

The drive to Wayne Manor was a quiet one. Even with the radio playing in the background, she found the ride to be too quiet.

Finally pulling in, she grabbed the bags from the backseat and walked up to the manor doors, unlocking the manor doors with her key. She walked into the kitchen and put the bags down. She then put the groceries away before she turned started walking the manor.

"Jay?" Barbara asked, looking around. "Jason, are you here? Bruce and Alfred took Dick to the DMV and will be gone for a couple of hours, and I thought you and I could hang out today."

She looked around, wondering where Jason could be hiding. She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes before a smirk grew on her face.

"Ok! I guess I'll just make myself an ice cream sundae with peanuts and chocolate chips and hot fudge!"

She started down the stairs, where she met a very eager Jason. A smile grew on her face.

"There you are."

"You promised me ice cream."

"I guess I did. C'mon, you. Let's go to the kitchen."

She put her hand on his back and led her to the kitchen, watching as he hopped up onto the island. She pulled the Rocky Road Ice Cream out of the freezer and grabbed hold of two bowls. She also pulled out the peanuts, chocolate chips, whipped cream and hot fudge out, watching as Jason cranked his head to the side.

"Did you stop by the store on your way here?"

"Of course," she replied with a smile. "I told you we're going to have a fun day today."

"I know you're my babysitter," he replied, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed. She turned and gave him a look.

"What makes you think that?"

"Please. I know Bruce doesn't trust me enough to leave me alone."

"I am not your babysitter," she said, furrowing her brow. "I thought you and I could hang out for a while today, just the two of us, and Bruce does trust you. Where is that coming from?"

"He doesn't trust me enough to leave me alone."

She smiled softly. "He does trust you. I already told you that I came here alone. Now, do you want this ice cream or not?"

"Yeah, Barbie," he replied, and she turned back to the bowls and started to make the sundaes. When she finished, she turned back to him and gave him his bowl, watching as he dug into it.

"Feel better now?" she asked, taking bites of her own.

"Almost," he replied, reaching over to grab for a brownie. She smiled as he broke it and half and gave her the bigger half.

"What a gentleman," she replied, breaking her own brownie into pieces. He did the same, and they ate their ice cream.

"By the way, if you are my babysitter, you're an amazing one."

"I am not your babysitter," she replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

He smirked at her before turning back to his ice cream. She shook her head, unable to keep a smile off of her own face.

"It's nice to see you joking around again. You've been a little moody lately."

"Have not!" he replied with a fake-astonishment expression on his face.

"What's been going on with you?'

"Nothing," he replied honestly.

"Just moody teenage hormones, right?"

"That's it," he replied. She reached over and grabbed for his hand.

"You can always talk to me, you know. I won't tell anyone else."

"I know."

"So, why do you believe Bruce doesn't trust you?"

"Because he doesn't. I've made too many mistakes."

"We're people, Jason. People make mistakes all of the time. It happens. It doesn't mean that Bruce doesn't trust you."

"Do you trust me?"

"With all of my heart," she replied, throwing him a smile. "You saved my life."

He didn't say anything for a minute. "When I was first adopted, you asked me why I was around your building."

"You don't have to tell me anything," she said.

"No, I do." He hesitated for a minute. "I was on my way to go commit a robbery."

She put her spoon down and rubbed her face. "What made you change your mind?"

"I was in your alley, and I saw Eric attack you."

"Did you ever commit the robbery that night?"

"No," he replied honestly. "It was about a month later when Dick and Bruce found me."

She didn't say anything, but she stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. Shocked, he dropped his spoon and stood there, before his arms slipped around her middle.

"Jason," she replied, and he narrowed his eyes in confusion when he saw her eyes water.

"Don't cry, Barbie."

"I'm sorry, I just-I hate hearing about your past. I really do. I wish we could have found you so much earlier."

He gave her a hug back before he grabbed hold of his ice cream and flung it at her. Screaming, she wiped it out of her hair, placing her hands on her hips as she glared down at the grinning teenager.

"JASON PETER TODD!"

"Catch me if you can, Barbie," he replied, throwing more ice cream at her. He ran around the kitchen, avoiding her as she chased after him. Peanuts, chocolate syrup and ice cream were thrown in the small battle, and after a minute she finally caught up to him, wrapping her arm around his middle to tackle him to the floor.

"Evil, evil child," she replied, a little breathless.

"Admit it, you had fun," he replied, turning his head towards her. She got off of him and helped him up.

"Bruce is going to kill me," she breathed out, looking around. Jason grinned up at her.

"Not if we get it cleaned up before they get home."

"Where does Alfred keep the cleaning supplies?"

"Over here," he said, moving towards a closet in the laundry room. She quickly pulled out the All-Purpose cleaner.

"Get some towels. We need to get this cleaned up as fast as possible."

He nodded and ran off to find some towels. She ran back into the kitchen and started to spray down the countertops, watching as he returned with towels.

"Ok, we'll get this cleaned up as fast as possible, throw the towels and our clothes in the washer, take a shower and they'll never know," she said, watching as he started wiping the countertops off.

"Good plan, Barbie."

They quickly cleaned up the kitchen and made sure every inch was clean. After the kitchen was cleaned they took a quick shower and threw their clothes in the washer.

"Ok, you little sneak, no more surprises like that!" she ordered him, placing her hands on her hips He grinned up at her.

"I'm so sorry."

"No, you're not," she replied with a laugh, ruffling his hair. "Ok, what else do you want to do?"

"We could crank out the Xbox," he replied, pointing to it.

"Pick out a game."

She sat on the couch and grabbed hold of the controller when he gave it to her. They spent the next hour-and-a-half playing one another, laughing and enjoying themselves in the process.

"Hey," Barbara said, putting the controller down on the table. Jason looked up at her. "I'm proud of you."

He cranked his head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"You've been here for almost a year now, and look at how far you've come. You got all A's and B's in seventh grade, you're starting eighth right now, and you've done such a good job as Robin."

"Couldn't do it without you, Barbie," he replied with a grin, and she smiled.

"Hey there, Babs," Dick said, walking into the living room. Jason put the game on pause. "What a surprise."

"Spending some time with the not-so-little-one," she said, rubbing Jason's head. "How'd it go?"

"I passed," he said, leaning against the doorframe.

"Congratulations!" she said, giving him a hug. Bruce walked into the room and clapped his shoulder.

"You now officially have keys to the car," he said, giving Dick the spare key. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Bruce," he said, looking over the key.

"One condition, though. Anytime Alfred needs something, you will get it, and when you can drive people around with you, you will take Jason with you."

"Oh, no problem," Dick said, grinning over at his brother, who buried his face in his hands.

Bruce then turned to Barbara. "I didn't know you were coming up today."

"I thought I'd spend some time with Jason."

"Thank you. I bet he had a blast." He started to turn to walk away before he turned back to face her, and Barbara and Jason both swore there was a hint of a smirk on his face. "Oh, next time the two of you have an ice cream fight, make sure to wipe the security cameras."

"Security cameras!" she said, pressing her hand to her face. Bruce turned to walk away. Dick shook his head.

"And you call me an idiot."

"Shut up," she replied, shoving his chest. He grinned at her. "Let me see!"

He pulled his wallet out and showed her his license. "Look good, don't I?"

"Still look like a dork to me," Jason replied, and Dick glared at him.

"I'm still better looking than you."

She smiled. "Ok, boys. Now that Dick's back, what should we do?"

"Kick him out," Jason replied, and Dick shoved him.

"Be nice," Barbara coaxed. "I say we go celebrate."

"How exactly, Babs? Neither one of us can drive people around yet."

"I didn't say we have to leave," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm saying we can celebrate here."

"Maybe with some ice cream?" Dick replied, a smirk toyed on his face. She rolled her eyes playfully.

"No more ice cream."

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" everyone called out, when Dick entered the room. He grinned.

"Thank you, everyone. Let's have some fun!"

The music started again, and he walked forward into the ballroom, looking around. He finally spotted Barbara sitting with Jason at one of the tables. Smiling, he walked up to the table and sat down opposite her.

"There you are," she said with a smile. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Babs," he replied.

"My wittle friend's sixteen!" she said, standing up to hug him from behind. "What happened to my short, big-headed best friend?"

"Big-headed?" he asked with fake-insult. "How rude."

"It's fitting," Jason replied, taking a sip of his juice. Dick glared at him.

"I wouldn't talk if I were you. Your head's looking a little off."

"Is not!" he replied, placing his hands to his face. Dick grinned.

"Be nice, both of you," Barbara said, looking between them. "I think Jasmine wants to see you."

"I shall be back," he replied, getting out of his seat. She let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Jason asked, looking at her in concern.

"Nothing, little one."

"I hate that nickname. I'm not that little anymore."

"You're still my little birdie," she replied, pushing a piece of his hair back behind his ear. He grinned at her.

"And you'll always be the beautiful bat."

"Charmer," she replied, rubbing his hair. "Have you seen Wally or Artemis?"

"I saw them a bit ago. They're around here somewhere."

* * *

"Hi there," Barbara said, walking up to Dick about an hour into the party.

"Hey, Babs. Having fun?"

"For the most part. Are you?"

"Tons."

She held her hand out, and he looked at her in confusion.

"What's this?" Dick asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Don't we always have one dance every party?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. He smiled.

"I guess we do."

He held his hand out for her, and she took it, following him to the dance floor. Once the song started, he put his hands on her hips while hers rested on his shoulders.

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you," he said. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she replied, throwing him a smile. "You threw a nice party this year."

"Yeah. After two other parties, I didn't really want to overdo it."

"You didn't need to throw me one."

"Yeah, I did. You're my best friend."

"You're mine, too," she replied, smiling softly as her arms crawled around his neck.

"I have to go tell Jason. He'll be so jealous."

"Why are you such a mean big brother?"

"It's my job to pick on him. You know that."

She shook her head and smiled. "Don't make me have to deal with you."

"I kind of what you to."

He stared down at her, and she bit her lip, wondering what he meant by that exactly. He coughed and turned away.

"Master Richard, time for cake," Alfred said, walking up to him.

"Right, thanks, Alfie," he replied, pulling away from Barbara. "See you in a few, Babs."

She nodded, her heart racing in her chest as he walked up to the stage. Sneaking away, she walked to the back of the ballroom, her mind going into overdrive.

* * *

"About time you're here," Wally said, as Nightwing and Robin walked through the zeta.

"We're right on time, thank you."

"So, speedhead, what'd you think of my party last night?"

"I don't know. Your party wasn't as fun as it was last year," Wally teased. Nightwing narrowed his eyes.

"That's because you convinced Batgirl to figure out who I was."

"I did no such thing!" he replied in fake astonishment. He rolled his eyes.

"Sure, you didn't. Anyway, ready for some training? B.C. says we're leading it."

"I thought that was your job."

"What was my job?"

"To teach the newbies what they need to know."

"Psh. Connor's more trained than you are."

"Gather around, everyone," Black Canary said, and everyone walked up to her. "Today is going to be a training day so I can evaluate where you all are at. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow and Nightwing are the most trained and longest-going teenage superheroes. They will be leading your training today."

They nodded, and everyone split up.

"Hey, Robin," Roy said, walking up to him. "Feel up to some training?"

"You're going to be my trainer today?"

"Sure am," he replied, pulling his bow out. "Sound fun?"

"I guess," he replied, pulling his staff out.

"That's an interesting response. Ok, whenever you're ready."

"Ready," he replied.

"Watch your anger, kid," Roy said, blocking Robin's staff with his bow. "Fighting angry doesn't get you anywhere."

"Like you're one to talk," he grunted, struggling against Roy.

"Easy," he replied, pushing his staff down. "Calm down."

"Ok," he replied, raising his staff. "Again?"

"Again," he replied, and they started fighting once again. After a while, Roy put his hand up.

"Not bad. You're pretty good."

"I try," he replied.

"You're not a bad kid, you know."

"Thanks," Robin replied.. He then bit his cheek. "Nightwing told me about your situation."

"Yeah," he replied, turning to look out the window.

"Look, er, I can't imagine how that must be, but, if you ever need some help, count me in."

Roy looked up. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"How's it going here?" Black Canary asked, walking up to them.

"He's well trained. About wore me out," Roy replied. Robin flipped his staff in his hand.

"Very good, Robin. I can tell Batman and Nightwing have been working with you well."

Robin nodded, and Black Canary moved on. Roy waited until she was out of the way before he turned back to him.

"Look, er, I want to help. If you ever need to talk, here's my number."

"Thanks," he replied, putting the paper into his belt. "Appreciate it."

* * *

"Good evening, Alfred," Barbara said, once he let her through the door.

"Good evening, Miss. Gordon. The boys aren't here right now."

"Actually, I was wondering if Bruce was around."

"He's down in the cave," Alfred replied, putting the plate up.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"You're welcome, Miss Gordon."

She turned and walked to the study. When she opened the passageway, she spotted Bruce sitting in his seat, sorting through the files on his computer.

"Bruce?"

"Barbara? Is something wrong?" Bruce asked, turning to her.

"Actually, I was wanting to talk to you about something."

"Which is?"

She took a deep breath. "I want to tell the team who I am."

He paused, and she dropped her head, waiting for an argument to ensure. After a moment of silence, he turned to her.

"No, Barbara."

"Bruce, please," she begged. "I am not Dick or Jason. I don't live here. I understand you wanting to protect them, but I'm different. Please."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into if you reveal your identity to the team. We've already had an uncover mole who revealed personal information. What if that information was to get out, and your identity gets revealed? You put a lot of people you care about at risk. Your father, Emily, your birth mother, Dick and Jason."

"I trust the team, Bruce. I really do."

He rubbed his mouth. "Ok."

"What?" she asked, popping her head up.

"You're right. You're not one of my children, and I can't tell you what to do. If you want to tell the team, the decision is yours, even if I strongly advise against it."

"Really?"

"Really. You've proved yourself enough in this last year. I trust every decision that you make. If you feel this is right, then I'm behind you, even if I don't agree with it."

"I promise you that they won't find about Dick and Jason."

"I can't change your mind about this?"

"Unlikely," she replied, and he pressed his lips together and nodded.

"I know I can't stop you, but I want you to think about this. Once you reveal it, you can't go back."

"I know you're trying to protect me, but I'll be ok. I promise."

"Ok, Barbara."

"Thank you," she said, looking down.

"I would strongly recommend you talk to Dick about this as well."

"I will," she said. "Thank you."

"I'm assuming Dick invited you to dinner? Maybe I can try to convince you some more."

She smiled. "I am."

"Wally and Artemis will be joining us as well. Dick wanted to have them over."

"Thank you for understanding, Bruce."

"Barbara, one final time: this is a dangerous you're playing. If any one of our enemies gets ahold of our identities, you will never be left alone again."

She pulled the seat next to Bruce and sat down before looking at him. "I'm the daughter of the police commissioner. My last name alone puts me in danger. Now, because of you and Dick, I know how to fight them off. You didn't want me to come out here because of dad, because you were afraid he would find out. I've been Batgirl for almost a year now, and every day is such an amazing experience. Batgirl goes out there and does what my father does: bring in the scum of Gotham. Whether it's as Barbara Gordon, or as Batgirl, I'm in danger."

He nodded his head. "Good luck, Barbara."

"Thank you," she whispered back, before she stood up.

* * *

"Dinner was delicious," Wally said, as they walked around outside.

"That's because you ate it all," Dick replied, rolling his eyes.

"I'm hungry," he replied, and Barbara smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're all here, actually. I want to talk to all of you," she said, and everyone stopped.

"Oh, yeah?

"I want to tell the team who I am, and I've gotten Bruce's permission."

"What?" Dick asked, looking at her in shock.

"Whoa," Jason said, his mouth falling open. Wally and Artemis stayed silent.

"I know what you're going to say," Barbara said, turning to Dick.

"No, you don't," he replied, and she looked down.

"You're going to be mad."

"C'mon, Jason, Artemis and I will battle you on the Xbox," Wally said, pressing on his back. She waited until they left the room before she turned back to him.

"Dick?"

"Yeah?"

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" she asked softly, watching as he stared at the wall. He shook his head.

"No. I just…" he trailed off and rubbed the back of his head. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"I won't get hurt," she said, squeezing his shoulder. He reached up and grabbed hold of it.

"I thought you promised me you wouldn't tell them."

"I did promise you," she replied, dropping her head.

"What did Bruce say when you asked him?"

"He said he was against it, but allowed me to do it because I wasn't his. As long as they don't find out about you and Jason, he said it was ok."

He let out a deep breath. "You know how long I've wanted to tell the team?"

"I know," she said, rubbing his back. "Thank you for understanding."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Barb. Please promise me that."

"I promise," she replied, grabbing hold of his hand.

A sudden rush went past them, spreading her hair around her face and blinding them for a second. When they opened their eyes, they were confused by what was in front of them.

"Are those roses?" she asked, laughing slightly.

"WALLY!" Dick called out, looking around for his friend. "I am so going to kick his ass."

"They're beautiful," she said, smelling them.

"Wally thought you might like these."

She laughed. "Thank you. So, are you ok with me telling the team?"

"Yeah. Go tell them."

"Thank you!" she said, giving him a hug. He laughed and hugged her back.

"Just don't get yourself hurt."

"You have my word."

"You know Dick's going to kick your ass," Artemis said from the doorway, laying her head on Wally's shoulder. He laughed.

"He can try. Besides, they look like they're enjoying themselves."

"They really do," she said softly, looking out at her best friends as they sat and talked together.

"He looks like a dork to me," Jason said, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. They smiled.

"Don't worry, little bird. We'll find someone for you, too."

He rolled his eyes and walked back into the manor. They continued to smile as they followed behind him, leaving Dick and Barbara alone outside.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dick asked, putting his glasses on. She nodded, putting her own on.

"I want to do this."

"We'll meet you there," he replied, and she hopped on her bike and took off towards the cave. Once she parked her bike, she hopped into the zeta and took off, spotting Zatanna once she entered the cave.

"Hey there, Batgirl. Where's Nightwing and Robin?"

"They'll be here soon. Is everyone here?"

"Just about. Why?"

"I have something to tell everyone."

"I'll go get them," she said, before taking off. Barbara rubbed her hands together, feeling very anxious. Once Zatanna gathered everyone, they all sat down in the living room.

"Is something wrong, Batgirl?"

"No, um, I actually have something to tell all of you."

"What is it?" Zatanna asked.

" _Recognize: Nightwing, B01. Robin, B12."_

She slowly reached up and removed her glasses, sliding them off of her face right as Dick and Jason walked into the living room. A stunned silence filled the room.

"My name is Barbara Gordon. I live in Gotham City, and I'm in the daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon."

Everyone but Nightwing, Robin, Artemis and Wally's mouths fell open as they stared at her. After the moment of shock passed, M'gann stood up and gave her a hug.

"Hello, Barbara!"

"Hi," she said back, pulling away from her.

"Nice to see your eyes, red," Wally said, clapping her shoulder.

As the rest of the team greeted her, she looked over to Nightwing, who gave her a smile of reassurance. Heart fluttering in her stomach, she looked away, something that didn't go unnoticed by Artemis.

She hoped Artemis wouldn't bring it up later.


	16. Always There

"Jason! Let's go!" Dick called up the stairs. Alfred walked up to him. "I swear, Alfie, he's worse than a girl sometimes."

"Master Dick, remind me again how long it takes you to get ready for school?"

"It doesn't take me that long. Jason!"

"I'm coming!" he yelled back, and Dick rolled his eyes as he waited for him to come down the stairs. When he finally showed up, Dick gave him a look-over.

"Hmm. Slick-back hair, cologne, taking forever to get ready, I would say that you're meeting Megan this morning."

"Am not!" he cried back, glaring daggers at Dick.

"Come on. We're running late."

"After you, young sirs," Alfred said, watching as they grabbed for their bags and strode past him.

The drive to Gotham Academy was quiet, and Dick couldn't help but smirk as he wondered what Jason was up to. He never took that long to get ready, and Dick knew that he was meeting Megan before classes started in the morning. Perfect opportunity for some meddling.

God, he loved being an older brother.

"So, Jason, you're meeting with Megan this morning, right?"

"Shut up, Dick," he gritted out, looking out the window.

"Just admit you like her."

"I swear it," he hissed, turning to glare at Dick.

Dick continued to smirk, but dropped the subject as they drove closer to Gotham Academy. When they pulled in, they hopped out of his car and walked inside, spotting Barbara waiting for them.

"Good morning," she said, smiling at them.

"Sorry we're late. The little one over here took forever to get ready."

"Shut. Up. Dick," Jason hissed out again. He smirked.

"Man, you're so easy to mess with."

"Stop!" Barbara said, raising her eyebrow at him. Dick raised his arms.

"Sorry to bail, but Megan asked me to meet her this morning."

"I'll see you at lunch," Barbara said, throwing him a smile. He grinned back at her before he turned and walked away. She turned to Dick.

"You never did tell me how your date with Jasmine went."

He shrugged. "Not the best."

"So, you and Jasmine didn't work then?" Barbara asked, as they walked through the hallway. Dick shook his head.

"Nah. We didn't have much in common."

"Honestly, she's annoying."

He turned to her, a smirk hinted on his lips. "Well, next time I ask a girl out on a date, I'll come to you first."

She rolled her eyes. "Splendid."

"Hey, check it out," he replied, gesturing his head. She looked over.

"They're so cute," Barbara said, smiling softly as they saw Jason and Megan talking to one another.

"Finally, that kid learned something from me."

She shook her head. "You leave him alone. I mean it."

"What? I'm just giving him some guidance."

"I'll give you some guidance if you don't leave him alone."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, rolling his eyes. "So, Babs, do you have a crush on anyone?"

' _For some reason, you,'_ she thought, looking out towards Jason and Megan. "No."

"You're just a late bloomer, is all."

"You must have forgotten that I did date last year, even if he was a jerk."

"And I dated Zatanna."

"Yeah, of course you dated my best friend."

"What?" he asked innocently. "We had a solid eight months."

She pressed her lips together. "She told me when you two dated. She said you treated her really well."

"That breakup was hard on both of us," he replied, looking away from her, "but I can't blame her."

"You really liked her, didn't you?"

"A lot, but that's all in the past now."

"I'm sorry it didn't work between you two. You were probably a cute couple."

"I'm sorry Bryan was such a jackass to you. You deserve so much better."

She smiled at him. "As do you, bighead."

"Bighead, huh?" he replied, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She laughed when he pulled her in as close as she would go. "You'll learn to regret those words, Gordon."

"I'm oh-so-scared," she mimicked back. He narrowed his eyes right as the bell rang.

"Catch you later, Babs."

"Bye, Dick," she said, waving as they walked away from each other.

* * *

"Hello, Barbara," M'gann said, once she walked through the zeta. Barbara smiled.

"I am so glad you finally know!" she said, giving her a hug.

"How'd you convince Batman to let you do it?" she asked, cranking her head to the side. Barbara smiled.

"I just did. As long as you all don't find out about Nightwing and Robin, there will be no consequences."

"I'm happy for you. Now I can finally talk to you face-to-face," she replied with a laugh, and Barbara laughed as well. "So, what else are you hiding?"

She smiled. "Ok. I'm sixteen, I live in Gotham, my father's the police commissioner, and I am a sophomore at Gotham Academy."

"Any boyfriends?"

"Not right now."

"Nightwing?"

"Huh?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. "There's nothing between Nightwing and I."

"But you want there to be."

She looked away. "It's just a crush."

"You two would be so cute together."

"He doesn't like me, M'gann. I'm just his friend."

"You're more than that to him. I see it," she replied, putting her hand on Barbara's arm. When the rest of the team gathered around, she immediately dropped the subject.

"Hi, Barbara," Zatanna said, sitting down next to her.

"Hi, Zatanna."

"I bet it's nice not having to hide behind glasses."

She pulled the dark glasses out and looked over them. "I don't miss these things."

"Shut up, Barbara," Nightwing said, flicking his own. She grinned at him.

"Batman likes me better," she taunted, watching as he gave her a look.

"Ha!" Robin said, laughing as Nightwing turned to him.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You."

"Here we go," Barbara said, shaking her head.

"They do this a lot?" Zatanna whispered, and Barbara nodded.

"Almost every day anymore."

"Whoa! Bird fight!" Wally said, speeding into the living room. Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"You always seem to show up at the best time."

Black Canary walked into the room, a somber expression on her face. "Good, you're all here."

"What's the matter?" Nightwing asked, looking at her in confusion.

"We got word that Garfield Logan's mother was killed in a car crash yesterday morning."

"No," M'gann said, pressing her hand to her mouth. Nightwing, Wally and Connor dropped their heads.

* * *

Batgirl waited on top of Gotham Bank Building, looking up at the stars as she did so. A smile softly coming to her lips, she looked up again, a memory flowing through her head.

" _Shut up, James!" Barbara told her brother, who grinned back in response._

" _Make me!"_

 _She punched his arm, and he rubbed it, grinning at her._

" _You don't know what you're talking about."_

" _I do, too!" he said, pointing up to the sky. "That's Orion!"_

" _If you say so," she teased back, and he glared at her._

"Batgirl? Earth to Batgirl!"

"Huh?" she asked, shaking he head back to reality. She spotted Robin looking up at her. "Oh, hi, Rob."

"Everything ok?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Just thinking."

"Batman sent me to find you. He has a personal mission tonight. We're on our own."

"Personal mission?"

"No idea," he replied with a shrug. "I wasn't going to pass up a Batman-free night."

"Stop," she said, looking down at him. She put her finger up to her ear. "There's an attempted robbery not far from here."

"Let's go," he replied, and they quickly jumped down to their bikes and drove off to the location, parking where they wouldn't be spotted.

"Ladies first," Robin said, holding his arm out. She smirked.

"Let's go kick some butt."

He grinned, and they grappled up to the ceiling and snuck inside. Looking down below, they spotted five men attempting to break into the safe. Nodding to one another, they jumped down and introduced themselves, watching as the men jumped back in fear.

"They're just children! We can take them!"

"Maneuver two, Batsy?" Robin asked, grinning at her.

"You know me so well," she replied, throwing a grin back at him as she pulled out her batarangs. He quickly jumped in front of them, watching as she threw the batarangs while they were distracted. They moved to avoid them, and Robin kicked them in their faces. They fell to the ground, and they both quickly knocked them unconscious.

"Idiots," Robin said, looking around at the men.

"Is that your favorite word anymore?"

"Pretty much," he replied, grinning up at Batgirl. She shook her head and rubbed his own, pulling him closer to her.

"You and I have done some serious butt-kicking tonight."

"Just you and me. It was a perfect date."

"This was _not_ a date," she replied, raising an eyebrow as her hands rested on her hips.

"Was for me."

She shook her head, a hint of a smile plastered on her lips. Robin smirked at her, and they both pulled their grapnels out at the sound of sirens. Hanging out on top of the building, they watched as GCPD stormed into the building.

"Nightwing still at the cave?"

"Yeah," he said, looking down below. "He won't be joining us tonight."

* * *

Nightwing, Wally, M'gann and Connor stood in the foyer of the cave, their heads bowed as they waited for Superman and Garfield to come in.

"I can't believe this happened," M'gann said, wiping her eyes. Connor wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her head, trying his hardest to comfort her.

The zeta tube went off, and Garfield appeared with Superman following behind him. Garfield had his head bowed.

"Hi, Gar," Nightwing said softly.

"Hi," he replied, refusing to look up.

"Garfield," M'gann said, giving him a hug. She softly petted his head while he gripped onto her tight.

"We'll help you, Superman," Wally said, taking some of the boxes. Zatanna walked into the room and assisted as well.

"I am so sorry, Garfield," M'gann whispered softly to him.

The others returned, and they formed a group hug around the two, letting Garfield know that he wasn't alone.

"We're here for you," Zatanna said, and everyone nodded.

"We're all here for you. Not just us, but the rest of the team as well," Nightwing said.

"Thank you," he choked out, and they gave him another hug.

* * *

Batman stared down at the city, observing it as he waited. Rather quiet tonight, unlike the usual activity that had been going on.

"Hiya, handsome."

"Selena," Batman said, turning around. "It's been a while."

"I didn't know you've missed me that much," she replied, hopping down. "How's the kids?"

He didn't respond, and she smirked at him. "What are you doing back in Gotham?"

"I hear the police are looking for me."

"A jewelry store was robbed a few weeks back. All the evidence points to you."

"You don't sound convinced."

"Nightwing believes you were set up."

"The big birdie believes in me?"

"Did you do it?"

"I didn't, actually," she replied, moving past him. "I haven't been in Gotham in a month."

"Do you know who may have set you up?"

"No idea, but I fully intend to clear my name."

"Let us help you. I have some leads."

"The great detective helping little old me? I feel honored."

"Whoever did it, had all the characteristics of you, but Nightwing knew right away that something was off."

"What tipped him off?"

"This," he replied, showing her his gauntlet. A picture appeared.

"That's definitely not mine."

"We figured that," he replied, closing the picture.

"Where are they now?"

"They're all working on something for me. It would just be you and I solving this."

"Sounds fun," she purred, leaning up against the brick wall. "Shall we, handsome?"

He turned to walk, and she followed after him.

* * *

"You ok?" Batgirl asked Robin, as she wrapped up his arm. He grinned at her.

"Can't keep me down."

"That's my birdie," she said, winking at him. "You'll probably need stitches. Alfred will patch you up when you return to the cave."

He nodded, watching as she finished the bandages. She then put the gauze back into her belt and looked around.

"We've done a lot tonight. Go home, Rob."

"See you later?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Always. Now go, before you lose too much blood."

He nodded, and grappled down to the ground. She followed suit, hopped onto her bike and drove back to her apartment, climbing the fire escape. Once she was in her apartment, she closed the window and her blinds and took her cowl off, plopping onto the couch as she did so.

' _A bath sounds really good right now.'_

Deciding against it, she took her suit off and changed into her pajamas. She then climbed into her bed and passed out.

That was, until a few hours passed, and the smell of eggs and bacon hit her nose. Letting out a small smile, she sat up in her bed and stretched before getting up. Walking into the kitchen, she spotted Emily at the stove.

"Emily?" Barbara said.

"Good morning," she said, putting two plates onto the table.

"Same to you," she replied, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Anytime," she replied, sitting down opposite her. "Excited for the weekend?"

"Always."

"You look tired. Are you sleeping well?"

"I didn't sleep too well last night," she replied, hoping that Emily wouldn't catch on.

"Well, try to take a nap today. Looks like you could use one."

"I'll try," she replied, taking a bite of her eggs. They talked while they ate their breakfast, and Barbara had the nagging suspicion in her mind that Emily was there for a reason.

"Thank you for breakfast."

"Anytime, sweetheart. I feel like I haven't gotten to see you that much lately."

"Same to you," she replied, giving her a hug.

"How's my sixteen-year-old?"

"Good. School's exhausting, but I'm doing well."

"And Dick and Jason?"

"Beating up on each other like usual," she replied with a laugh.

"That's just what brothers do. They'll fight with each other to the end of the world."

"They're doing good."

"It's really impressive what Jason's been able to do in the past year. It can't have been easy to do what he did."

"He's really intelligent. He rarely ever needs help with his homework."

"All three of you are."

"We try as hard as we can."

"You do well. All of you do."

She was silent for a minute. "Why do I feel like you're wanting to talk to me about something?"

Emily looked up and pressed her lips together. "Your father and I are a little worried about you lately."

Barbara furrowed her brow. "About what?"

"You just look so exhausted anymore. Are you sleeping well?"

"I sleep plenty," she replied.

"We're just really worried about you."

"I promise you I'm fine."

Emily studied her for a minute. "Ok."

* * *

"Alfred, I'm heading out," Dick said, grabbing for his wallet.

"Be careful, Master Dick. You have a tendency to have a lead foot."

"Don't worry about me, Alfie. I'll be just fine. Want me to bring you something back, Jay?"

"No," he replied, leaning against the doorframe.

"Be back later," Dick said, before turning to the garage door. He opened it and hopped in his midnight blue car and started it up before pulling it out of the garage. Driving out of the driveway, he pulled out onto the street and rolled the windows day, enjoying the last bit of fall air before winter took over.

Finally arriving in the city, he thought in his mind what he wanted to do before a smirk plastered onto his face. Stopping by Starbucks, he picked up two mocha frappuccinos before he arrived at her apartment, smiling softly when he saw her outside, getting something out of her own car.

"Hey, good looking."

"Oh, dear God," she whispered, shaking her head. She turned around, spotting a grinning Dick Grayson sitting in the driver's seat of his car.

"Need a ride?"

"You're not allowed to drive anyone yet," she replied, looking down at him.

"Look at you, following the rules," he replied. She opened the door and sat in the passenger seat, looking at the car.

"This is such a cool car."

"I love it," he replied, turning the radio on. She smiled when the music started playing.

"Bon Jovi?"

"What? He has good music."

"I never realized you liked his music," she replied, smiling even more. "I love Bon Jovi!"

"Pick a song," he replied, and she picked his phone up and looked through his song list.

"Hmm," she said, before finally choosing one.

" _Shot through the heart, and you're to blame_

 _Darling you give love, a bad name!"_

"Good choice, Gordon," he said with a grin, turning the radio up louder.

They started singing along to the song, growing progressively louder each time they did so. By the end of the song, they were both laughing and out of breath.

"You're a terrible singer!" she laughed out.

"You're not so hot yourself over there," he laughed back, taking a sip from his Starbuck's cup.

"Shut up," she replied, a laugh escaping from her lips again.

"Man, it feels so good to have my license," he said, turning to look at her. She smiled back.

"I see you're enjoying it well."

"Yeah. I drove up to my best friend's apartment and am blasting Bon Jovi with her. Great times."

"Like you don't enjoy it," she replied with a grin, resting her head on the headrest. He chuckled.

"You and I do have some fun times together."

"That we do," she replied, closing her eyes.

"Any plans for Thanksgiving?" he asked her, watching as she shook her head.

"No. Emily and dad probably have to work."

"Come to the manor. Have dinner with us."

"Is that an invitation?" she asked, and he nodded.

"If you want to. You always love Thanksgiving dinner."

"I'd love to," she replied, and he grinned at her.

"Perfect! Another wonderful Thanksgiving in the books!"

"I can't believe Halloween is next week," she said, looking out the window. "Time is flying by."

"Homecoming's next week, too. You going to the dance?"

"No," she replied, looking back at him. "Homecoming's not really my thing."

"Mine either. I'd much rather be out as Nightwing that night."

There was silence for a moment before she finally spoke. "That boy Black Canary was talking about? Garfield? Who is he, if you don't mind me asking?"

"About two years ago, Bruce sent M'gann, Wally, Connor and I to Qurac to investigate why the president all-of-a-sudden wanted Bialya and Qurac to be one country. It was my first leader mission ever. When we got there, we ran into Garfield and his mother, Marie. Garfield got badly injured in an air-strike, and the only way to save him was for M'gann to perform a blood-transfusion. He survived, and every-once-in-a-while we go and visit him."

He fell silent, and she dropped her head. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, he finally picked up the extra coffee and gave it to her.

"Got this for you."

"My hero," she replied, taking a sip. "Thank you."

"Welcome," he said, turning the radio down.

"Can you believe we're almost halfway through sophomore year already? Just think about it. Next year we will be juniors, Jason will be a freshman, and Wally and Artemis will be in _college_."

"Time's flying, Barb. I can't believe it. This time last year, we were thinking about driving and where we would go if we could drive. Now, here we are, sitting in my car rocking out to Bon Jovi."

She laughed. "We're just missing Jay in the backseat."

"Psh. He doesn't want to come with me. He nearly had a heart attack when Bruce told him I would be driving him to school next year."

"Can you blame him?"

"I am not a bad driver," he replied, giving her a look. She smirked.

"If you say so."

"Watch it, Gordon."

Somebody tapped on the window, and they turned to spot her dad staring at them through the glass. She quickly rolled the window down.

"Hi, dad."

"Hey, Mr. Gordon."

"Afternoon," he replied, looking down at them. "You weren't planning on taking my daughter out for a spin, were you?"

"No, sir," he replied, shaking his head as his voice wavered. Barbara hid a laugh. "Not allowed to yet."

"Dad, we're just listening to some music."

"As long as that's all you're doing."

"I promise," she replied, giving him a look.

"Well, I was thinking you and I could go out for some dinner tonight. Would you like to come along, son?"

"Er, sure. Thanks."

"Whenever you're ready to go," Jim replied, before he turned to walk into the apartment building. Dick turned back to Barbara.

"Should I be scared? I mean, I've known your dad for almost eight years, but I feel like I'm bringing you home from a first date."

She laughed again. "He loves you like a son."

"Then I feel honored being invited to dinner."

"Come on, big head. Let's meet dad upstairs."

* * *

"You made it!" M'gann said, throwing the bat trio a smile once they arrived through the zeta tube.

"We wouldn't miss this," Barbara said, giving her a hug. "Do you need any help?"

"I'd love some."

"I'm going to help her," she told Nightwing and Robin, who nodded before disappearing into the living room. Barbara followed M'gann into the kitchen.

"Isn't it weird how time changes things?" she asked, watching as Barbara turned to her. "This time last year, I had no idea who you were. Now, you're one of my best friends."

Barbara smiled. "You're one of mine, too. It's nice to have some girl friends. I spend all my time with two boys that fight more than anything."

M'gann laughed. "Boys."

"I know right?" Barbara replied, laughing herself. "How are you and Connor doing?"

"We're doing well," she replied, stirring the gravy. "He's so sweet."

"How's Garfield doing?"

"A lot better. He's finally moving around the cave, but I haven't seen him at all today."

"He probably wants to be alone."

"I know, but he shouldn't be."

Barbara put her hand on M'gann's shoulder, unable to find the words to say to her.

* * *

"Hey, Garfield," Nightwing said, walking up to him when he finally emerged in the living room.

"Hi, everyone," he said, looking around.

"Hi," they echoed back, throwing him soft smiles.

"Dinner is served," Barbara said, walking into the living room. M'gann followed right behind her.

"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry," Garfield said, and M'gann bowed her head as he turned and walked back into his room.

"I wish he'd eat," she replied, sitting back down in her chair.

"Maybe he doesn't want to eat with everyone. Why don't you go take him a plate?" Zatanna suggested.

"That's a great idea," M'gann replied, grabbing for his plate. She then walked to his room and softly knocked on the door. "Garfield?"

The door opened, and she stepped inside, watching as he looked up from his bed. She gave him a sad smile and sat down next to him, handing him his plate.

"All vegetarian."

"Thanks," he said, taking the plate from her.

"How are you?"

He shrugged. "Ok, I guess."

"I'm so sorry you had to lose her," she replied, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Me, too," he said, and his head fell to her shoulder. She softly petted his hair, trying to find the right words to say.

"Would you like some privacy?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"No, actually I think I need to be with friends right now."

She smiled softly. "Everyone out there wants to see you."

He stood up, and she did as well. She followed him to the table where the giant table was set up, watching as everyone lifted their heads.

"Hi, Garfield," Barbara said, pulling the chair out next to her. He sat down.

"Hi, Barbara, everyone."

She softly squeezed his shoulder, and they all sat down for Thanksgiving dinner, laughing and talking with one another.

Even Garfield joined in the conversation with Robin.

"Move it," Artemis said, sitting down next to Nightwing after dinner. He gave her a look.

"You act like you're my big sister or something."

"Come here, little brother," she said, wrapping her arm around his neck while ruffling up his hair. He growled at her and tried to pull away.

"Did Barbara put you up to this?"

"Maybe," she replied with a grin, watching as he attempted to fix his hair.

"Get him, babe," Wally said, walking up to the couch. Nightwing glared at him.

"I hate both of you."

"That's what you get," Robin said, and he turned to look over at him.

"Get for what?"

"Always beating up on me!"

"We've got your back, little bird!" Wally said, and Nightwing rolled his eyes.

Robin laughed and turned back to Garfield. Barbara sat down on the other side of Dick.

"Did you put them up to this?"

"Up to what?" she asked innocently, furrowing her brow in confusion. He narrowed his eyes.

"I know that tone, Gordon. You put them up to this."

She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"See how much she picks on me?" he told Zatanna, who laughed.

"I enjoy it," she replied, winking at Zatanna.

They mingled for the next hour-an-a-half before Nightwing noticed the time. He stood up and stretched, looking around for Robin and Barbara as he did so.

"We should be going," he said, watching as Robin stood up.

"I should be going, too," Barbara said, standing up. "Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!"

"You, too!" everyone echoed back, before they turned to the zeta tubes and disappeared. When they arrived back in Gotham City, they walked to the garage and pulled their bikes out.

"I hope you had a good time," Dick said, rubbing her arm softly.

"The best," she replied, rubbing Robin's head.

"I can't wait for dinner tomorrow," Jason said, rubbing his hands together.

"Am I still invited for dinner?" she asked, cranking her head to the side. Dick smirked at her.

"If you ask nicely."

"Pretty please," she begged, and his smirk grew wider.

"You have asked very nicely. You're invited for dinner."

"Well, it was never up to you anyway. Bruce said I was invited."

"Damn. He makes it harder for me to insult you."

"I have to get going. See you tomorrow," she replied, watching as they both nodded. She then climbed onto her bike and drove off.

* * *

"Miss. Gordon," Alfred said, opening the door and letting her past. She smiled at him.

"Hello, Alfred. Thanks for having me."

"I don't think it would be Thanksgiving without you. You're family here."

"Thank you, Alfred," she replied, throwing him a smile.

"The boys are in the living room. Feel free to join them."

She nodded, and he helped her take her coat off. He then hug it on the hanger before turning to walk back into the kitchen. She walked into the informal living room, spotting Dick and Jason in a heated Xbox battle.

"Happy Thanksgiving, boys."

"Oh, hey, Babs," Dick said, looking away from the TV. "Damn it!"

"I win," Jason said, putting the remote onto the coffee table. "Happy Thanksgiving, Barbara."

"You too, little one."

"I hate that nickname," he replied, looking up at her.

"I can't call you that much longer. You're getting really tall. How tall is your dad?"

"About 6'1," he replied.

"I think you'll easily match that."

"He better not wind up taller than me," Dick replied, and Barbara smiled at him.

"He's already there, Dick. He's up to your shoulders now."

Jason grinned up at him. "You've beat up on me for the last time."

"I'll still kick your ass even if you're taller, which you won't be, shortie."

Jason attacked him, and Barbara shook her head as they wrestled around on the floor. Bruce walked into the living room, sighed, and pulled them off of each other.

"We have company!"

"She doesn't mind," Dick replied, watching as Barbara looked over at him and pressed her hand to her eyes.

"Thanks for coming, Barbara," Bruce said, pressing his hand to her shoulder.

"Thanks for having me."

"It's not Thanksgiving without Babs," Dick said, watching as Jason sat back down on the couch. She smiled.

"Well, I feel honored."

"How's your father?"

"He's doing well. He's going to try to make it up, but he can't guarantee it. I'm going to make him a small dinner later."

"Take him some leftovers if you would like. Sorry he couldn't be here."

"He would like that. Thank you."

He clapped her shoulder and walked out of the room. She turned back to the boys.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you two."

"You're not going to do anything with us," Dick replied, and Jason rolled his eyes.

"I'm going to see if Alfred needs any help," Jason said, before he took off to the kitchen. Barbara smiled.

"What are you smiling about?"

"I was thinking about the first Thanksgiving we spent together, when we were nine-years-old. You were being mean, so I tackled you to the ground, and you couldn't get away from me."

"I don't recall that," he said, shaking his head. She smirked.

"I do."

"Too bad you can't do that now."

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "I can still take you down."

"Yeah, right."

She smirked before she lunged at him, watching as he fought back. After a few minutes of struggling he had her pinned underneath him, smirking down at her while she struggled against him.

"Nice try, Gordon."

"I hate you," she said, unable to look away from him. He stared down at her.

"But I _love_ you."

A smirk played at the corners of her lips. That was, until she couldn't look away from his blue eyes.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't looking away or getting off of her, either. She pressed her hand to his cheek, and he softly grazed his knuckles against her own.

That's when her phone started going off.

He immediately got off of her, blushing furiously. She did the same while she walked over to her phone and picked it up.

"Hi, Emily. Happy Thanksgiving."

Dick pressed his hands against his mouth as she answered her phone. When she hung up a few minutes later, she turned back to him, pressing her lips together.

"How's Emily?"

"Good. She was just wishing me a happy Thanksgiving."

Jason returned, obviously noticing the tension between them. "What'd you do to her?!"

"Nothing, pintsize," Dick said, pushing him away. Barbara smiled.

"I'm fine, Jay. Hey, you said you had something to show me."

"Yeah," he replied, leading her away. Dick waited until they turned away before letting out another deep breath, running his hand through his hair as he did so.

' _What is happening between us?'_

The awkwardness didn't let up between them, even when Alfred announced dinner, and they were all sitting around the table. She sat next to Bruce, with Jason sitting next to her, while he sat on the other side of Bruce, looking down at his plate for the most part.

"Everything was great, Alfred," Barbara said, finishing her piece of pie.

"I agree," Bruce said, raising his glass.

"Why, thank you," he replied, cleaning up the dishes.

"I'll help you," she said, helping him pick up the dishes. Dick thanked her, and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen with Alfred.

"Everything ok, Dick?" Bruce asked, turning to look at him.

"Fine, Bruce. I think I ate too much."

"Maybe you should stop eating so much," Barbara joked, once she returned to the dining room. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"The food is just too good."

"Take some leftovers home, Barbara," Bruce said, gesturing to the rest of the food.

"Thank you. Dad will be very happy."

* * *

"It's getting late. I should probably get going," Barbara said, getting off the couch.

"I'll walk you out," Dick said, getting up.

"Bye, Barbara," Jason said, smiling up at her.

"Bye, Jay. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Barbara," Bruce said, clapping her shoulder.

"You too, Bruce. Thank you for dinner."

"You're practically family. You belong here, too."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Alfred."

"You too, Miss. Gordon."

Dick helped her put her coat on, and she bid one final goodbye before they walked out the doors. He walked her out to her car, and she started it up before turning back to him.

"Babs, about what happened earlier-"

"It was pretty awkward," she laughed out, and he nodded in agreement.

"I guess time changes things."

"I guess it does," she said back, tucking a piece of her hair back behind her ear. "Happy Thanksgiving, Dick."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Babs."

She gave him a quick hug before she climbed into her car and drove off. He stared at the car into it was out of sight before he turned and walked back into the manor.

* * *

"Something's bothering you, Master Bruce," Alfred said, giving Bruce a cup of tea down in the cave.

"I need to tell him, but I don't know where to begin."

Alfred looked down and pressed his lips together. "You can't hide this from him. It will only anger him."

"This would crush him, Alfred."

"It's the right thing do to, sir."

Bruce rubbed his face. "I don't know how I'm going to tell him."

"Be upfront and honest. Tell him."

Back upstairs, Dick, Barbara and Jason were settled around the coffee table working on homework.

"School was so boring today," Dick said, pulling out his mythology textbook.

"You say that every day," Barbara replied, shaking her head.

"Because school is boring."

"Whiner," she replied, looking over at Jason. "How are you doing?"

"I think I got it," he replied, finishing the last problem. He handed it to her, and she looked over it.

"Very good, Jay."

"Thanks," he replied, taking it back from her.

Bruce walked into the room and stared at them for a minute before pressing his hand to his mouth and turning away. Dick furrowed his brow.

"Bruce has been acting strange."

"Yeah, it's definitely creepier than his moody expression all the time," Jason replied, and Barbara laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Still, it's unsettling," Dick said, and they nodded in agreement. Bruce showed back up in the living room.

"Jason, can you come here for a minute?" Bruce asked, and Jason furrowed his brow.

"Er, sure."

He got off the couch and followed Bruce to the cave, wondering what Bruce was wanting to talk to him about this time. He knew it was something big when Bruce pulled a chair out and told him to sit down.

"Something wrong?"

Bruce rubbed his hands together before looking down. "What do you know about your mother?"

"My mother? Catherine?"

"Yes, Catherine."

"I'm not understanding," he replied, furrowing his brow. Bruce rubbed his mouth.

"What did you and your father ever talk about?"

"Other than teaching me how to steal and fight, nothing. I was nothing to him."

"I, er, I got a copy of your birth certificate from Gotham Memorial. I noticed something on there that I think you should know, but I didn't know how to tell you until now."

"What do you mean?" he whispered, his heart pounding in his chest.

Bruce pressed his lips together before he grabbed hold of the folder sitting on the Batcomputer. He gave it to Jason, who looked up at him before grabbing hold of it with shaky hands. Opening the fastening, he pulled the thick document out.

He looked over it, expecting to read everything he's already knew. However, his eye caught something, and he looked over it again, expecting his mind to play tricks on him.

"What the hell?"

Bruce bowed his head, and Jason almost dropped the document as he noticed it.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head as he looked over it for the third time. "That's not possible."

 _Born to Sheila Haywood and Willis Todd._


	17. Family

**Author's Note: No Name left me a review asking who Sheila Haywood was. In A Death in the Family, Jason Todd discovers that Catherine Todd was not in his birth mother, but his stepmother. He discovered that Sheila Haywood was his birth mother. He also referenced his birth mother in Red Hood and the Outlaws Rebirth #9.**

* * *

There was complete silence in the cave as Bruce and Jason sat across from each other, Jason still in shock. Bruce was staring at him, trying to figure out what to say.

"This has to be a mistake!" he whispered, looking back up at Bruce.

"It's not."

Jason put the document back into his folder and rubbed his face. Bruce stared at him, wondering in his mind what he should say to him.

"How long have you known?"

"A while."

"And you didn't tell me?!" he asked, turning back towards him. "You've known this whole time?!"

"I have. I didn't know how to tell you, or how you'd take it."

"I need to be alone," he finally said, standing up.

"Jason-"

"Leave me alone, Bruce," he replied, before he walked up the stairs. Bruce bit his cheek as he turned back to the Batcomputer, watching as Alfred walked down the stairs.

"I'm guessing he knows."

"As figured, it didn't go well," he replied, typing into the computer.

"It was the right thing to do, sir. Just give him time. It's a lot to process."

* * *

Barbara walked into the manor, looking around for signs of Dick or Jason. She furrowed her brow when she couldn't find them, but a grin formed on her face when she heard snoring coming from the living room. Turning to walk into it, she spotted Dick laying on the couch, one arm stretched over his eyes and the other dangled on the floor. Walking over to him, she tried to shake him awake.

"Earth to Dick Grayson."

"Wha?" he said, jumping up from the couch. Barbara laughed behind her hand. "Not funny."

"Sorry, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"When did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago. Where's Jason?"

"I dunno," he replied with a yawn. "I haven't seen him much lately."

She walked over to the window and looked out, narrowing her eyes as she did so. "Never mind. I found him."

"What's he doing out there?" he asked her, joining her at the window.

"He's going to catch a cold," Barbara said, watching Jason through the window.

"I don't know what's wrong with him. Ever since he and Bruce had that talk after Thanksgiving, he's been angry about something."

She watched him through the window, biting her lip as she did so. "I'm going out there."

"Babs-"

"He needs to talk to someone, Dick. Clearly Bruce said something to him."

He sighed before he grabbed hold of their coats. "Let's go."

She nodded, put her coat on and followed him out to the pond. When they finally reached him, they looked at each other for a minute before they walked over to Jason. She sat on his left side, while Dick took the right, and they both stared out over pond.

"I want to be alone," he finally said, refusing to look at him.

"After his parents died, Dick wanted to be alone. I wouldn't let him be alone. Something's been bothering you, Jay, and that bothers Dick and I. You've acted this way since Thanksgiving."

Jason didn't reply, but he continued to look out over the frozen pond. Barbara let out a soft sigh and reached up to squeeze his shoulder.

"C'mon, Jay. I miss your sarcastic attitude," Dick said, and Barbara hid a smile. Jason let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his head.

"A couple of days after Thanksgiving, Bruce called me down to the cave, and he showed me my birth certificate."

"Your birth certificate? What about it?" Barbara asked with worry in her voice.

"I always thought my mother was Catherine. Turns out, she was my stepmother."

"What?" Dick said, turning to him in shock. "Who's your mother?"

"The birth certificate said Sheila Haywood."

"Do you know who she is?" Barbara asked softly, her heart pounding in her chest. He shook his head.

"No. Willis and Catherine never talked about her."

"Jason," she replied, pulling on his head lightly. She rested it on her shoulder, softly petting his hair.

"You, Bruce, Barbara and I will work together, and we'll see if we can find Sheila, if you wish."

Jason bit his cheek. "I can't stop thinking about it. My whole life has been a lie."

"I can't imagine how that must feel," Barbara said, continuing to pet his hair. "Maybe you should go talk to your father."

"No," Jason said sharply. "I don't want to see him."

She looked over at Dick, who mouthed "no" to her and shook his head. Nodding her own, she put her cheek on top of Jason's head, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

"Dick and I are here for you."

He nodded, and Dick squeezed his shoulder, reassuring Jason of the same thing. Despite the cold they were all feeling, they continued to stare out over the frozen water, enjoying the time together.

"I wouldn't let this stop you," Dick told him, softly squeezing his little brother's shoulder.

"It's not going to stop me," Jason replied softly, playing with his sweater string. Barbara smiled at him. "Is it bad that I might want to find her?"

Dick and Barbara shook their heads.

"Not at all. If I was in your situation, I would want to find her, too," Barbara replied, rubbing his shoulder.

Dick nodded in agreement.

"You're freezing. Come on, let's get inside. I'll make you some hot chocolate," Barbara said, helping Jason up. He and Dick followed her back into the house, removing their coats and shoes once they stepped through the kitchen door.

"Jason? Have you been outside this entire time?" Alfred asked, looking him up and down.

"I'm fine, Alfred," he replied, climbing into the chair.

"I'm going to make him some hot chocolate," Barbara reassured him.

"At least change into something warmer, young sir," Alfred said, helping him out of the chair. They walked out of the kitchen, and Barbara turned to Dick, worry etched onto her face.

"Do you think he's ok?"

"I don't know," he replied, shaking his head.

She looked down, fixing the cups of hot chocolate as her mind went into overdrive. As soon as she put the pot onto the stove, she turned back to him.

"When's the Christmas party at the cave?"

"It'll start at five on the 23rd. M'gann wants to have a dinner."

"Thanks," she replied, stirring the hot chocolate. Jason returned to the kitchen. "It's just about done."

"Thanks," he said, taking a seat at the island. When the mixture was warm, she poured three cups and gave them to the boys. They all sat around the island.

"This is good," Jason said, taking a sip.

"My mother left me the recipe. I make it every year."

"Delicious, Babs," Dick said, clinking his cup with hers.

"Thank you," she replied, before turning back to Jason. "Are you doing ok?"

"Yeah, I think I am," he said, fingering the top of the mug with his thumbs. "It's just a bit of a shock."

"I can imagine," she said, sitting down next to him.

"You know what? Just a few more weeks, and Barbara can drive us around. Why don't we plan a day out?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Barbara replied, squeezing Jason's shoulder. "What do you want to do?"

He shrugged. "Maybe we can see a movie?"

"Sounds good," she said, pushing his hair out of his face. "We'll make a movie date."

Bruce walked into the kitchen, dressed in his suit. He took a look at them before he grabbed a water from the refrigerator. "Barbara, do you have your suit?"

"I have a spare in the cave. What's up?"

"I have a mission for all of you."

"That's a good reason to get my suit," she replied, watching as the boys got out of their seats.

* * *

"Jay? Are you ready?" Dick asked, knocking on his door. It opened, reveling him on the other side.

"Ready."

"Got your gifts?" he asked, watching as Jason nodded and jiggled the bag hanging off of his arm. "Let's get going. Barbara's going to meet us there."

They walked downstairs and down to the cave where their bikes were. Hopping on them, they drove off to the zeta tube and parked their bikes in the garage. When they arrived at the cave, they spotted the rest of the team gathered in the living room.

"You're here!" M'gann said, giving them a hug.

"Merry Christmas, M'gann," they echoed, hugging her back.

"There you two are," Barbara said, walking up to them.

"You know us. We have to show up fashionably late."

"Fashionably," she replied, looking Dick up and down. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Got something to say, Gordon?"

"Robin looks fashionable."

"Thanks, BG!" he replied, grinning up at her. Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"Robin looks like a pint-size."

Robin punched him in the gut, causing him to cry out and hunch over. Barbara and M'gann laughed behind their hands.

"Not funny," Nightwing said, rubbing his stomach.

"You started it," Barbara said.

"Did not," he mimicked back, watching as Robin shook his head.

"M'gann, this place looks beautiful every year," she said, looking around.

"Thank you."

"Robin!" Garfield said, running up to him. "You have to come check this out!"

"Ok," he replied, walking with him.

"It's good that they're getting along so well."

"It makes me happy that Garfield's talking to someone. He's coming around a little, but he's stuck to his room more than anything."

"Robin enjoys hanging out with him, too."

"Wally, Artemis," Nightwing said, watching as the couple walked up to them.

"Nightwing," they echoed back.

"Where's Robin?"

"With Garfield," he replied, gesturing his head over to them.

"How are you two?" Barbara asked, giving Artemis a hug. "I feel like I haven't seen you in a while."

"We've been busy with exams and everything," she replied, pulling away from Barbara.

"One more semester," Dick said, clapping Wally's shoulder. "What's on the agenda after graduation?"

Wally and Artemis looked at each other before he answered. "We're still thinking about it."

Barbara looked down, something that didn't go unnoticed by Nightwing. After another half-hour of socializing, M'gann called everyone for dinner.

"Nightwing? Are you coming?" Barbara asked, watching as he looked out the window.

"What are you all hiding from me?"

"What?" she whispered, looking at him.

"You, Wally, Artemis, even Rob are hiding something from me. What is it?"

"We're not hiding anything from you."

"Barb, what is it?"

She sighed, looking out the window. "I'm not supposed to tell you."

"Then who is? Everyone seems to know but me."

"I am," Wally said, walking up to them. "Next month, Art and I are going to be applying for colleges. We found one we really like in Palo Alto, and we're hoping to get accepted. Even if we don't, we're going to move to an apartment in a town to a college we did get accepted to. When Artemis and I graduate, we're retiring. We're done with the team."

Barbara looked down as Nightwing's face turned to shock. After a minute of awkward silence, Nightwing finally answered.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

"I'll give you two a minute," Barbara said, breaking away from them. Dick waited until she walked away before talking.

"Why did you hide from me? Barbara knew. Robin knew."

"Artemis told them at lunch one day. I wanted to tell you, but I was going to wait until we got accepted."

There was an awkward silence. Nightwing dropped his head before he looked up.

"Seriously, congratulations. I still remember when you and Art were at each other's throats."

Wally laughed. "Those were some fun times."

"That was three years ago."

"Hard to believe."

Dick dropped his head. "It's going to be so weird without you two."

"I know."

Dick held his hand out, and Wally accepted it before pulling him into a hug. They broke apart a minute later.

"Try not to miss me too much."

"You wish," he replied, shoving him.

* * *

"Hey," Barbara said, walking up to Nightwing after dinner, "are you ok?"

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at his juice. "It's just, well, it's nothing."

"Talk to me," she said, compassion in her voice. She reached for his hand, and he squeezed it back.

"Wally, Kaldur and I started this team. We defied Batman, Aquaman and Flash. This whole thing is built around the three of us, and now he's leaving."

"They knew you would take it hard," she replied softly. "That's why they were hesitant to tell you."

"I'm happy for them. I really am. It's just going to be so different."

"He's your best friend. Has been for a long time. I'm going to miss them, too."

He smiled softly. "I'm glad you're here, Babs."

"I'm always here," she replied, squeezing his hand. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Look at the two lovebirds. Oh, sorry, bat and bird," Wally said with a grin, walking up to them. Nightwing rolled his eyes.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Not until eight," he replied, checking his watch. Barbara laughed. "Hey, Robin, I have something to show you!"

"Should I be scared?" he asked, walking up to them.

"Ok, ok, Nightwing and Robin are probably going to kill me for this, but I had to," Wally said, watching as Nightwing and Robin gave him a look. Wally turned back to his phone, and started to play a song.

The song "Rockin' Robin" started to play, causing Nightwing and Robin to glare at Wally, and Barbara and Artemis to try to hold back laughter.

"I hate you," Robin said, crossing his arms.

"Did you enjoy that Jaybird street part?" Wally replied with a grin, watching as Robin glared up at him.

"Wally," Nightwing warned.

"That's actually pretty funny," Artemis said, smiling behind her hand.

"Ugh," Robin replied, smashing his hand to his head.

"Funny, Wally," Nightwing said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm going to get some punch," Robin said, turning to walk away. Barbara smiled.

"He's always the life of the party," Wally replied, watching as he walked away.

"He is when you don't embarrass him," she replied, shaking her head at him.

"It was funny."

"You're an idiot," Nightwing said, watching as Wally turned and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm perfect."

"There's two of them," Barbara said, pressing her hand to her head.

"Yeah, but I'm older, so I'm better."

"Ladies, have you ever heard the story of when Wally first got his powers?"

"Dude!" Wally said, pushing him.

"Now, I'm interested," Artemis replied, crossing her arms as a grin grew on her face.

"Flash could run in circles countless times when he first started. When Wally first started, he fell to his face."

Barbara and Artemis laughed behind their hands as Wally glared at Nightwing.

"Not cool, man. Not cool."

"You started it."

"Ok, let's play this game. When Nightwing first started as Robin, he attempted to grapple up to the top of a building one night. He miscalculated and hit his face on the wall."

Nightwing bit his cheek, watching as Barbara bent over laughing.

* * *

"Jason? Are you ready?"

"Just about," he replied, and Dick opened his door. He spotted Jason at the mirror smoothing out his suit. He walked up to him.

"I hate these monkey suits," Jason replied, watching as Dick laughed and fixed his tie.

"I like them. Makes me feel awesome."

"Of course your big head would think that," he replied, watching as Dick shoved him.

There was a knock on the door, and they both turned to see Bruce standing there. "Dick, do you mind if I speak with Jason for a minute?"

"Yeah. I'll just go finish getting ready," he replied, turning to walk out of Jason's room. Bruce waited until the door closed before he turned back to Jason, who had turned to and moved towards his desk.

"Can we talk?"

"About?" Jason asked, clearing up his desk.

"Sheila."

"What about her?"

"I know it's affecting you. Do you want to talk?"

"Not really."

Bruce let out a sigh and sat on Jason's bed. "It can't be easy, hearing that news."

"What news? That my birthmother gave me up, and my stepmother and father never told me?"

"Jason-"

"Bruce, I don't want to talk about it."

"I know I kept it from you-"

"It's fine. I don't want to talk about it."

There was a knock on the door, and Jason opened it to reveal Alfred on the other side. "Pardon for the apologies, but all of your guests have arrived, sir."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce replied, not looking away from Jason. "Well, we should be getting down there."

Jason nodded, and Bruce looked away. Standing up, he walked across the hall to Dick's room and knocked on the door.

"Dick? Let's go!"

The door opened, and Dick walked out, closing it behind him. They all walked down the stairs and stopped at the doors to the ballroom. Bruce opened the doors, and they all walked through, listening to the thunderous applause that erupted.

"Welcome, everyone," Bruce said, looking amongst the crowd. "Food and drinks are served. Enjoy yourselves, and Merry Christmas!"

Clapping ensured again, and everyone went their separate ways. Dick and Jason found Barbara on the other side of the ballroom, smiling at them.

"Ah, the Wayne boys."

"Hey, Babs."

"How are you?"

"Same old, same old," Dick replied with a grin. Jason shrugged.

"Let's go sit down. They're serving dinner," Bruce said, walking back up to them. They walked up to their table and sat down, Dick raising an eyebrow when Jason opted to sit next to Barbara.

"This looks so good," Barbara said, taking a bite of her food.

"That's good. I'm starving," Dick replied, eating from his own. She rolled her eyes playfully.

When everyone finished dinner, the music started to play. Bruce and Jason once again disappeared into the crowd of people while Barbara and Dick remained at the table.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She nodded, smiling as she took it. He led her out to the dance floor and put one hand on her waist, swaying back and forth.

"Merry Christmas, Dick," she said, looking back up at him.

"Merry Christmas, Babs."

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, continuing to sway to the song. Eventually, her head rested on his shoulder, and his arms circled around her waist, pulling her in close to him

"You'll like your present," he said softly in her ear, watching as her head moved back up to look at him.

"I will?"

"Oh yes. Artemis helped me pick it out."

"Is it as good as the necklace?" she asked with a smile, and he smiled back at her.

"You really like that necklace, don't you?"

"It's my favorite," she replied, placing her hand on her chest. "I wear it everywhere I go."

"I was unsure when I bought it if you would like it," he said, fingering the silver band. She smiled.

"I love it. It was a very special gift. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

She let out a soft breath as they continued to sway. When the song ended, they pulled away from each other.

"Thanks for the dance."

"It's tradition."

"I guess it is," he replied with a grin.

"I'm going to find Jay," she said, and he nodded before she disappeared. Walking through the ballroom, she found Jason sitting at the table.

"Hey, Barbie."

"Hey, you," she said, sitting down across from him. "Are you having fun?"

"Not really. I hate these things."

She laughed. "There's dancing and food and music. What's not to love?"

"All of that."

"Come with me."

"Where?" he asked, following her out of the ballroom. She led him up to his bedroom and opened the door. They walked in, and she closed it behind him.

"You never let me see your room," she said, looking around. He shrugged.

"I like my privacy."

"Is this ok?"

"Yeah," he replied.

She took a look around, loving the way Jason had decorated it. Posters on the wall, a guitar in the corner, a phone port to play music.

Far different from Dick's room.

"You play guitar?" she asked, picking it up.

"Learning how to."

"Will you play me something?" she asked, and he nodded, taking it off the stand. He wrapped it around his shoulder and plugged it into the amplifier. He then started playing, and she smiled.

He looked so peaceful playing it.

"That's really good," she said, and he stopped playing and took it off.

"It's a work in progress," he replied, putting the guitar back on the stand. "I know there's a reason why you brought me up here."

"Other than to get away from the party?" he waited for a minute. "I know how much you dislike these parties, so I thought you and I could get away for a little while before anyone notices."

"Thanks," he replied, sitting down next to her. "Bruce won't leave me alone about the whole Sheila thing."

"He's just worried about you. We all are."

"I'm fine," he stressed, turning to look at her.

"I know you are."

"Thanks," he replied, looking down at the floor.

"There you two are," Dick said, standing in the doorframe.

"Looking for us, were you?"

"You left me alone down there."

"Whiner," she said, shoving his chest. He grinned at her.

"Let's go back downstairs before somebody notices."

"He's right," she told Jason, who stood up and walked out of the room. They followed behind him back to the ballroom, smiling in their wake.

"I think this is the biggest party yet," he said, outside of the ballroom doors.

"I think so, too, she replied, looking around. She then looked up and bit her cheek. "Dick."

"What?" he asked, also looking up. He blushed when he did so. "Oh."

"Déjà vu, huh?" she asked with a laugh.

"Yeah."

She grinned, pressed her hands to his cheeks, and softly pressed their lips together. After a minute she pulled away, but he couldn't help but notice that she lingered.

"At least you're not doused in cologne this time," she laughed, and he grinned, watching as she pressed her thumb against his lip.

"I like that cologne."

"I'm sure you do. Come on, Jay's waiting for us."

He nodded, and they walked back into the ballroom.

* * *

"Pumpkin?"

"Huh?" Barbara asked, popping her eyes open. "Oh, hi, dad."

"You slept in late this morning. Are you feeling ok?"

"I feel fine," she said, looking at the clock. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Emily made breakfast, if you're hungry."

"Starving," she said, sitting up. She stretched before she pushed the covers off and walked out of the room, spotting Emily at the stove and Jim setting the table.

"Morning," she said, sitting down in the chair.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," Emily said, leaning down to give her a hug.

"I'm so glad you're here," she said, giving her a hug back.

"I thought you would be happy to see her," Jim said, squeezing Barbara's shoulder.

"I'm happy to see you, too. I've missed you, dad."

"I know I've been working a lot lately, but we're all here today."

"I'm so glad," she replied, right before Emily put her plate down in front of her.

After breakfast was eaten and presents were open, Barbara's phone went off. Turning to it, she let out a smile.

"Merry Christmas, Dick."

"Merry Christmas, Babs. Are you having a good day?"

"The best," she replied, turning back to Jim and Emily, who were still cleaning the kitchen. "How's your morning going?"

"It's been good. I couldn't get Jay out of bed again, so I pushed him out and, well, he attacked me of course. Then we ate breakfast and opened presents. Now we're about to watch one of Bruce's favorite Christmas movies."

"You leave Jason alone," she replied with a laugh, imaging Jay's reaction in her head.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas."

"You too, Dick. I'll see you soon."

"Have fun, Babs. See you soon."

Dick hung up his phone before turning back to Jason, who was looking over the movie box. Sitting down next to him, he pulled his legs up on the couch and started the movie when Bruce and Alfred returned to the living room.

"Merry Christmas, boys," Bruce said, sitting on the other side of Jason while Alfred sat next to Dick.

"Merry Christmas," they echoed back.

As the movie started, Alfred started thinking of the small family that was sitting before him. How far all of them had come even since Jason's adoption late last year. Seeing all of them on the couch, engrossed in the movie, made him smile slightly.

They all may have their differences, but they were a family. They cared and love for each other as a family did.

"Everything ok, Alfred?" Bruce asked, looking at him. Alfred nodded.

"Just swell, sir. Just swell."

A family indeed.

* * *

Batgirl let out a sigh as she dangled her legs off of the roof of the building across her street. She was due to meet with Bruce, Dick and Jason in just a few minutes, but she wanted some time to look out over the city before she did so. She enjoyed looking at the moonlight, the clouds, the lights of the building that came on at night. She enjoyed the quiet serenity that being up this high brought her.

It helped calm her down.

When it was time to meet with them, she grappled down from the top of the building and hopped on her bike. She then got onto her bike and put her finger to her ear.

"I'm on my way over to you," she said through her comms unit.

"There's an emergency. I'm sending you the location. We're on our way, but you're closer to it."

"What's the emergency?"

"Scarecrow has hostages. I think he's using them to test his gas. We need to find them."

"I'm on it, Batman," she said, speeding away on her bike. She drove to the location and parked her bike when she arrived. Grappling up to the top of the building, she looked inside through the window, furrowing her brow. Sliding it open, she snuck inside and took another look around.

"There's nothing here," Batgirl said, looking around. "It's empty."

"Are you sure? We're almost there."

"I'm positive. The place is abandoned."

"Don't be so sure, little bat."

"Never mind. Something came up," she said, taking a look around. She pulled her batarangs out, ready for a fight.

"It's time to face your fears!"

Her breath caught in her throat as her heart began to stammer in her chest. She looked around, trying to figure out why she was scared all-of-a-sudden.

"S-Scarecrow?" she breathed out, feeling dizzy. She fell to her knees, struggling to breath.

"Breathe!" Scarecrow whispered, releasing more gas into her face. She fell to the ground and clutched her head. "Breathe, little bat."

She cried out in fear before it subsided. Standing up, she looked around, finding herself encased in darkness. She stepped forward, her breath caught in her throat as she spotted what laid on the ground.

"D-Dad?" she whispered, slowly walking up to the body. "No!"

"Barbie!" Jason cried, holding onto his side. He fell to the ground, and she was unable to run up to him. "Barbie, help me!"

"I'm trying!" she said, attempting to get past the invisible wall.

"You can't save him," a voice said, and she turned to spot Bruce standing there, looking straight at her.

"I can try! We have to help him!"

"You were never good enough to be Batgirl, Barbara," Bruce said, walking up to her. "You're a failure."

"I'm trying, Bruce!" she whispered back, tears running down her face. "I know you didn't choose me, but I am trying as hard as I can!"

"It's not good enough," he replied.

"You're not good enough for me, either."

"Dick?" she whispered, turning to face him.

"I don't know why I was ever friends with you. Everyone leaves you in the end."

"Hello, Barbara."

"Mom?" Barbara whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"It's been a long time, sweetheart," she whispered, bending down in front of her. Barbara pressed her hand to her mouth.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," Barbara Sr. said, running her fingers across Barbara's cheek.

"You abandoned me," Barbara whispered back, shaking her head.

"Did I?" she asked, a smirk filling her face. Barbara's heart stammered in her chest. "Maybe it's because I didn't want you. Did you ever think about that?"

" _Babs!"_

"I love you!" Barbara whispered, shaking her head.

" _Barbara!"_

"I don't love you," Barbara Sr. said back. "You're a disappointment to me."

" _Babs!"_

Her eyes shot open, and she spotted Dick looking down at her, concern written all over his face. Her breath was uneven, and she pressed her hand to her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Dick immediately wrapped his arms around her.

"It's ok," he whispered to her, watching as she buried her head into his shoulder. "It's over now."

"Dick, just hold me," she said, and he held onto her tighter, softly rubbing her back.

"I'm right here," he said, and he softly petted her hair when he felt his suit get wet. "It's all over."

She cried for a few minutes more before she pulled away, wiping her face off as she did so. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't you apologize. Whatever you saw, it's what Scarecrow meant for you to see. It's not real."

"It looked so real."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he whispered, as though he were hesitant to.

"I saw my mother. She said she left because she was disappointed in me. That she didn't love me."

He kissed her head. "You had nothing to do with your mother leaving."

She laid her head on his shoulder, playing with the Batsymbol on her suit. "I've never experienced Scarecrow's gas like that before. I'm still shaking."

He kissed her head again, pulling her as close to him as she would go.

"Did they catch Scarecrow?"

He bit his lip. "He got away."

"Damn it!" she said, looking down.

"Don't stress it, Barb. There's nothing you could have done."

"Where's Bruce and Jason?"

"Still out. I brought you back."

"I'm sorry I messed up."

He squeezed her hand. "Babs, don't do this. You did all that you could."

She looked around, finally realizing that she was in the cave. She narrowed her eyes.

"What time is it?"

"3:15," he replied, looking at his watch.

"I've been out all night?"

"Relax. Crane used a new version of his toxin on you, one we haven't encountered yet. Alfred's been monitoring you."

"I'm fine," she said, hopping off of the bed. She stumbled, and he quickly caught her and laid her back down.

"Barb, take it easy," he replied, watching as she put her hand to her head. "We don't know how this will affect you."

She let out a sigh as he covered her back up. "Thanks for taking care of me."

"You're my best friend. I'll always take care of you. Remember when I broke my ribs, and you took care of me?"

"Or when you and Jason had the flu," she replied with a smile. He chuckled.

"I think Jay enjoyed that more than I did."

"I miss him having a crush on me," she said, starting to feel groggy again. "He was so sweet."

"He's going through a rough time right now," Dick replied, squeezing her hand once she grabbed hold of it. She let out a deep breath and looked away from him. He jumped up and sat on the bed next to her. She smiled and looked ahead.

"You know, I've always wondered about that weird, giant dinosaur."

He laughed. "Long story."

"Fair enough, but we have time," she replied, grinning at him. He grinned back and told her the story.

* * *

"Babs! I didn't know you were coming in today," Dick said, opening the door for her.

"Bruce wanted to see me. Said it was training day."

"Ah, right," he replied, shaking his head. "You must be up first."

"Great," she breathed out, taking her coat off. He took it from her and hung it on the hook.

"We'll give you some support," he said, and she let out a laugh as they walked towards the passageway.

"Thanks, I suppose."

"Barbara," Bruce said, once she was down in the cave. "Glad you could make it."

"Hello, Bruce."

"If you're ready," he said, gesturing to the training area. She nodded. "Dick, back upstairs."

"Ah, come on, Bruce."

"Now," he ordered, and Dick gently squeezed her arm before he walked back up the stairs. He handed Barbara the boxing gloves.

"Get ready."

"Ready," she responded back, getting into stance. He started to throw punches, and she blocked him, telling herself how much easier it was since she started a little over a year ago.

She thought she was doing well, but, apparently, Bruce didn't agree.

"Focus, Barbara," he said, taking another shot at her. She blocked it, taking a shot back. When he hit her again, she growled and shot back, feeling frustrated when he blocked it. "Stop."

"I'm sorry," she said taking the gloves off.

"What's on your mind?" he asked, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"Nothing."

"Clearly something is," he replied, looking at her. She rubbed her arm and looked down.

"Am I a failure to you?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Nothing, I-"

"Barbara, what's going on?" he asked, bending down to look at her. She rubbed her hands together and looked down.

"I know you didn't choose me like you chose Dick and Jason, but I try my hardest to prove to you that I'm just as good-"

"Stop," he said, a hint of compassion in his voice. "Something tells me this is coming from Scarecrow's gas."

She nodded, looking back down. "It hit me hard, I guess."

"You know what really made me make the decision to let you come on?" she shook her head, waiting for him to continue. "When Dick and I spotted you taking on the purse thief, you have no idea how mad I was. I wanted to call your father right then and there for pulling a stunt like that. Dick and I talked to you, tried everything we could to get you to stop, but you wouldn't listen. You were adamant about joining us. It wasn't what Dick said to me that changed my mind about bringing you on. It was the determination I saw coming off of you. How you didn't care what would happen to you, as long as you could help save the city like your father. That is why I brought you on."

"Really?" she whispered, shock filling her. He nodded.

"Really. Plus, you listen to me way more than the other two do."

She laughed. "They do tend to not listen, don't they?"

"Don't ever think that because I didn't chose you, that you don't belong here."

She felt as though she had been hit with a brick wall, and a smile lit up her face as the words sunk in.

"Are you ready to try this again?"

"Yes," she replied, putting the gloves back on. They got into stance once again and started fighting one another.

"Much better," he said sometime later, taking the gloves off.

"Thank you."

"You ok?"

"A lot better than I was," she replied honestly, putting the gloves onto the chair. He clapped her shoulder and dismissed her.

* * *

"You look nice," Emily said, looking at Barbara as she glanced over herself in the mirror.

"Thanks, Emily. I'm going to a New Year's party tonight."

"And your father's ok with this?"

"I'm going with Dick and Jason."

"Have fun tonight, ok?" she asked, fixing Barbara's hair.

"I will," she said, watching as Emily helped put her necklace on. "I'll see you in the morning when you get home."

"Hard to believe another year's gone by. Soon you'll be graduating school and starting college."

"I know," she said, taking another look in the mirror.

"Enjoy your night, ok? Have fun at your party."

"I will. Thank you."

Emily gave her a hug before they both turned and walked out of the apartment. She locked it behind her, bidding goodbye to Emily as she did so. She walked out of the building and hopped on her bike before she took off to the cave.

"Barbara!" M'gann said, giving her a hug when she arrived.

"Hello, M'gann."

"Mingle!" she said, gesturing to everyone else in the room.

And she did. She spoke with Connor, Artemis and Wally before she walked up to Zatanna, who was sitting on the couch.

"Hi, Barbara!"

"Hi, Z," she said, sitting down next to her.

"Another year down," she said, clinking their glasses together.

"It's been a good year."

"It has," she replied, fingering the top of her glass.

"Is something wrong? You look like you're down about something."

She shook her head. "It's nothing."

"I know that's not true. What's going on?"

"Do you ever get a little sad around the holidays?"

"Every year," she said, watching as Zatanna looked up at her. "It's hard without my mom and every year I get a little sad thinking about her. What makes it a little easier is knowing that I have friends and family here with me. Nightwing, Robin, my father, Emily, they all make it a lot easier for me. I hope I do the same for them. The most important thing is to remember that you're not alone. Sometimes it's hard to think about, and you have to keep remembering."

Zatanna nodded. "I needed that. Thank you."

"What are friends for?" she asked with a smile.

The zeta tube went off, and Nightwing and Robin walked through. She smiled when they walked up to her.

"Barbara."

"Wingnut."

"Rude," he replied, raising an eyebrow when Robin started laughing.

The party continued on, with the clock inching closer to midnight. At 11:59, Barbara poured three glasses of juice before she walked over to Nightwing and Robin.

"Sparkling juice for all of us," she said, giving them the glasses. "Cheers, for a happy and healthy year."

"Cheers to that," Dick and Jason replied, clinking their glasses. They all took a sip, counting down when everyone else in the room started to.

"10, 9, 8!"

"Happy New Years, Babs."

"7, 6, 5!"

"You, too, Nightwing," she replied, clinking his glass again.

"4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Years!"

Everyone cheered. Barbara turned and hugged Dick and Jason, feeling happy that they were all celebrating another New Year. They knew they were having fun, they knew they were together, and they knew they would be having to join Batman out in the field in just a little bit.

What they didn't know was the tragedy that would follow in the next year.


	18. Year 3: Tragedy

"Morning, dad," Barbara said, finishing her bowl of cereal.

"Morning, pumpkin. Have any big plans today?"

"Taking the boys out for a movie."

"Are you driving?"

"Yeah," she replied, cleaning her bowl out in the sink.

"Be careful, Barbara. It's different driving with people than just by yourself."

"I'll be ok, dad," she said, turning to face him.

He smiled softly. "I know you will. I just can't believe how big you're getting."

"You're so sappy sometimes."

"I try not to be," he replied, kissing her head. "Have fun today."

"I will, thanks," she said, grabbing for her purse. "We still on for your birthday dinner tomorrow?"

"Always," he said, holding his coffee cup out to her.

"I'll be back later," she said, grabbing for her car keys. She walked out the door and texted Dick.

* * *

"Morning, Alfred," Dick said, walking into the kitchen.

"You're in a good mood this morning, young sir."

"Barbara and I are taking Jason out today. Hopefully get his mind off of things."

"I think he'll enjoy that. With everything going on, I think he needs some time away from the mask and himself."

"Where is he, anyway?" Dick asked, looking around.

"He wanted to get some early morning training in down in the cave. I believe he is still down there."

"Thanks, Alfie," he said, before walking out of the kitchen. He walked to the passageway and opened it before walking down to the cave. Looking around, he spotted Jason in the training arena, punching the dummies.

"Morning, Jason."

"Yeah," he replied, continuing his workout.

"How long have you been awake?"

"A couple of hours."

"Did you even sleep?"

"A little while," he replied, punching the dummies even harder. Dick furrowed his brow as he watched him.

"Have you eaten?"

"Grayson, I'm trying to train here."

"Ok," he said, putting his hands up. "Don't take too much longer. Barbara will be here soon."

Jason didn't reply, and Dick shook his head as he walked back up the passageway to the study. Heading to the living room, he laid down on the couch and pulled his phone out, starting to play a game on it. After a few more minutes Jason walked up the stairs and back to his bedroom, and Dick shook his head.

' _Was I this moody when I was his age?'_

Alfred walked into the living room, and Dick sat up. "Alfred, was I ever a moody child?"

"Depends on the day, Master Richard," he replied, cleaning up the coffee table. "All teenagers have their days. Or, in Master Bruce's case, every day."

Dick laughed. "It just seems like Jay's been having a hard time lately."

"It's just part of growing up. He'll be fine."

Barbara texted him, and he quickly replied to her before getting up off the couch. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed for a muffin before he sat down at the island to eat it. Jason joined him a few minutes later.

"Barbara's on her way."

"Cool," he said, grabbing for his own muffin. He sat down next to him and ate it.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine, why?"

"No reason," he replied, finishing his muffin. He stood up and cleaned up his mess while he waited for Jason to finish his breakfast. Once he was done, he cleaned up his own mess, they put their coats and shoes on, and walked outside to the porch.

"Babs is here," Dick said, watching as she pulled up. They walked up to her car once she stopped.

"Hello, boys."

"Hey, Barbara," they echoed.

"Ready to go?"

"I don't know. I think I'm a little scared to get in the car with you."

"Then stay. Jason can come with me."

"I'm not afraid," he replied, getting in the backseat. She smiled.

"Traitor," Dick replied, hopping into the front seat.

Barbara laughed before she drove out of the driveway. Dick turned the radio on.

"Are you touching my radio?"

"Just wait until I can drive the two of you around," Dick said with a grin.

"That's not happening," Jason said from the backseat. Dick smirked.

"Oh, but do you remember Bruce _ordering_ me to drive you to and from school?"

Jason groaned, and Barbara hid another smile as she continued on the path back to the city. Once they reached the movie theater, she parked the car and they all got out.

"At least it's not crowded much right now," she said, locking her car.

"Best time to go," Dick replied, holding open the door for them. "So, should we share a giant popcorn?"

"I'd like that," Barbara replied, once they walked up to the ticket stand. "After the movie, should we go out to lunch?"

"Sounds good," he replied, and they both looked down at Jason, who had been oddly quiet.

"Are you ok, Jason?"

"Fine," he replied, walking behind them. She rubbed his head, pulling him close to her.

* * *

Dick let out a soft sigh as he drove his bike next to Jason's on their way to the cave. Bruce just alerted them of an urgent mission, and they immediately took off on their bikes after getting ahold of Barbara.

Parking them in the garage, they used the zeta tube to get to the cave and changed into their suits the minute they arrived. Barbara showed up a few minutes later and did the same.

"Gather around," Batman said, walking up to them. "Earlier this morning, an important package was stolen. I've sent Nightwing the information. I'm sending all of you out for this mission. Get it back, and report back to me."

They nodded, and turned to walk to the bioship. Once M'gann started to fly off, Batgirl turned to look out the window, watching the scenery fly by her.

"Everything ok?" Artemis asked her, and she shook her head and snapped back to reality.

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"You've been doing that a lot lately, Barbara."

"I know," she replied, turning to face Artemis. "Too much on my mind, I guess."

"I think you need to clear your mind," Zatanna said with a laugh. Barbara followed with her own.

"If only."

She looked over at Dick, who was giving information to Robin. Taking a deep breath, she looked back out the window.

"Batman said this piece of very important. Whatever it is, we've got to get it back. Whatever it takes."

"Stealth is the best option," Nightwing chimed in. "We should split up into two groups."

"Agreed," Kaldur said.

* * *

"This way," Nightwing whispered, leading his group through the weeds.

"You're not going to do that ninja thing, are you?" Kid Flash whispered, watching as Nightwing cranked his head at him.

"No! Now be quiet!"

"Rude!" he whispered back, and Batgirl and Artemis shook their heads as they continued on. Robin looked around.

"According to Batman's report, the tracer that was on the missing item went dead around this area. That's why Aqualad and I thought it best to split up. We can find what we're looking for and get out."

"What are we looking for?"

He pulled his arm up and showed them the message from Batman. They all read through it.

"This package was stolen from the truck leaving the facility. We need to get it back."

Batgirl pulled her binoculars out and bent down. "Five men circulating the building. All armed."

"Use stealth to move in. Aqualad's going in underground."

They quickly moved across the lawn and they all quickly took down the men. Nightwing issued hand commands, and they entered the building, taking a look around. Robin turned his video camera on.

"People up ahead," Artemis whispered, and they hid behind the wall before taking a peek.

"At least fifteen of them."

"Easy," Nightwing said with a grin. They quickly moved and took down the men, looking around for the stolen piece.

"Nightwing!" Aqualad called, running up to them. "Have you found it?"

"Not yet."

"We haven't been able to find it,"

Nightwing cranked his neck. "Robin?"

"I don't think it's here," he replied, taking a look around.

"Take another look. We need to be certain," he said, and everyone started to look around once again. Robin plugged his gauntlet into the computer and ran through the files.

"Anything on the missing piece, Robin?" Batgirl asked him, walking up next to him. He shook his head.

"Nothing, but look at this."

"Wow," she breathed out, looking through the file. "Send this to Batman."

"On it," he said, looking through the other files.

"I feel like this is a trap, my friend," Aqualad said, and Nightwing turned his detective vision on, taking a look around.

"You're right. Something doesn't feel right about this."

Superboy looked at Robin, who had a red dot glaring off is back. Quickly realizing what he was, he took off full speed at him.

"Watch out, Robin," he said, pushing him out of the way.

"Thanks," he replied, standing up.

"Nightwing!" Batgirl said, throwing him his escrima sticks.

" _More up top,"_ M'gann said threw the link, before all of the men up top were thrown out of the way.

"Zatanna," Kaldur said, nodding his head to her. She cleared the way, and they quickly crossed through, avoiding the gunfire and shots being fired at them.

"You ok?" Nightwing asked her, catching her when she fell.

"That took more out of me than I realized."

"Just relax. We're safe now, thanks to you."

"Help her, Nightwing. Let's move forward," Kaldur said, and Nightwing wrapped his arm around Zatanna's shoulder and helped her walk. Batgirl moved to her other side, and they advanced on.

"They know we're here, Aqualad. We're in some major trouble."

"We need to get back to the ship."

"Just one problem," Batgirl said, looking at the crowds of men and women up by the door.

"I'll be fine," Zatanna whispered, and they let go of her and stood at the ready.

"Let's take these guys down," Nightwing said with a grin, and they all ran forward.

"Hi, little birdie," one of the men said, holding out a knife to Robin. He cranked his head.

"Yeah, hi," he replied, kicking the knife out of his hand. He used his staff to smash the man against the wall, narrowing his eyes when the portrait cracked behind him. Pushing the man out of the way, he looked at the safe.

"Give me good news," he whispered to himself, pulling out his sequencer. Putting it to the safe, he watched as the numbers began to appear on it. When it cracked through, he opened the safe. "Bingo."

"Hanging on?" Nightwing asked Batgirl, who smirked at him in response.

"Me? Always."

"Atta girl!" he replied back, throwing her a grin. When all of the men and women were taken down, Robin walked up to them.

"Hey, Wingnut, is this what we're looking for?" Robin asked, holding the tube in his hand.

"I think so!" he replied, opening the tube. "It is. Good work, Rob!"

"At least we can return to Batman with good news for a change," Kid Flash said, and Nightwing nodded in agreement.

"Let's go home."

* * *

"Evening," Dick said, walking down into the cave. Bruce looked up.

"You're in a good mood."

"Aren't I always?" he asked, and Bruce didn't reply. "What's up for tonight?"

"I'm sending you and Barbara out together for normal patrol," Bruce said, turning to Dick. He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you really trust us that much?"

"Jason and I are going to be investigating a lead. You two will be doing basic patrol."

"Sounds fun," he replied, getting onto his bike. "Let me know if you need any help."

Bruce nodded, and Dick put his mask and helmet on before he drove out of the cave. Driving up to Barbara's apartment, he parked in the alleyway behind it right as she walked out.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, living life."

She rolled her eyes. "I mean it. What are you doing here?"

"Batman and Robin are investigating a lead. We're doing patrol tonight."

"Just us?" she asked, and he nodded his head.

"Just us."

"Back to our Batgirl and Robin days," Batgirl said, tilting her head to the side. Nightwing grinned at her.

"Let's have some fun, BG."

She smiled and hopped onto her bike. He got onto his own and drove up next to her, pressing his finger to his ear.

" _Armed robbery at Fifth and Madison. Gotham National Bank."_

"Let's go," he said, starting up his bike. They drove off to fifth and parked their bikes before grappling to the top of the opposite building, looking down.

"Two-Face's crew. Shocking."

"Is Two-Face there?"

"I don't think so. He should still be in Arkham."

"Should be," she replied, and he nodded.

"Two men guarding the front door. Both armed."

"A good old batarang should do the trick," she said with a smirk, and he threw her one back. They jumped down and threw the batarangs, watching as the guns fell out of the men's hands. They quickly took them down and entered the building before grappling up to the top.

"Five more armed men."

"Smoke bomb," she whispered back, pulling one out. They turned on their detective vision on before she dropped the bomb. They followed after it, and started to take down the men.

"Is that all of them?"

"I think so," she said, looking around as the smoke began to clear.

A gunshot went off, and he quickly pushed her to the ground right as the bullet went past his head. Looking up, he spotted one of Two-Face's men advancing towards them.

"Nightwing?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind getting off of me?"

"Sorry," he replied, blushing furiously. They quickly hid behind the wall and pulled their batarangs off.

"Come out, stupid brats."

"Now!" Batgirl whispered, and they both threw them. They hit the man dead on, causing him to hunch over in pain. They quickly moved and took him down.

"You ok?" he asked her, as he finished tying up the man.

"I don't know. You tackled me pretty hard."

He rolled his eyes, watching as a smirk filled her face. The sound of sirens filled their ears, and they quickly ran out of the building and back to their bikes.

"That was fun," she said, slightly out of breath.

"You betcha," he replied, grinning at her.

" _Nightwing, Batgirl, we've found Joker."_

"Where?"

" _The old Gotham Theater near Market."_

"We're heading that way," he replied, and they started up their bikes and took off. They spotted the Batmobile and parked next to it before entering the building, spotting the Joker henchmen all around.

"We're in the right spot," Nightwing said, looking around.

"Let's find Batman and Robin," Batgirl said, and they ran further into the theater and to the main lobby.

"Need some help?" Nightwing asked, watching as Batman took down his final man.

"Joker's planning on releasing more Joker venom. I'm going after him."

"We'll take these guys down," Batgirl said, watching as more men ran through the door. She ran up next to Robin.

"Hanging in there?"

"You know me, Batsy," he replied with a grin, smashing his fast into the man's stomach. She smiled.

"That's my boy."

Something smashed into both of them, and they crashed through the doors. Vision blurred, they looked up.

"Big guy," they echoed, standing back up.

"Together, Robin," she panted out, and they both stood up and started to take him on together. When they took him down, she turned to Robin.

"You ok?"

"Fine," he said back, looking to his right.

Through the open doors, they spotted Joker and Harley.

"Joker!" Robin said, running through the doors.

"Woowee! Little bird boy's after me!" Joker said, grinning at Robin.

"Robin, wait!" Batgirl cried, running after him.

"Where are you going, Batgirl?" Harley asked, holding her bat out.

"I am putting you back in Arkham," she said, throwing ropes at Harley.

"Like I'm scared of you," she replied, jumping out of the way. She fought hand-to-hand combat with her until she was finally able to take Harley down, panting when she tied her up. Batman and Nightwing ran in.

"Where's Robin?" Batman asked, looking for him.

"I don't know. He went after Joker. I tried to follow him-"

"Stay with her," he ordered to Nightwing, who nodded and dropped down beside her.

"Are you ok, Bats?" he asked, looking over her. She nodded.

"Where's Robin?"

"Batman went after him. We'll find him."

"I tried to stop him-"

"Batgirl, you did everything you could. Just relax. Batman will find him."

"Not if Mr. J. has hold of him," Harley taunted, and Nightwing glared at her.

"GCPD!" a police officer yelled, smashing through the door. They quickly ran up to Harley and took her away.

"We need to find Batman and Robin," Batgirl said, once Nightwing helped her up.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Just fine. We need to move," she said, and they ran through the doors to find them. When they finally caught up to them, they spotted Robin leaning against the wall as Batman took on Joker. Nightwing went to go and help, while Batgirl ran over to Robin.

"Are you ok?"

"Fine," he hissed out, holding his side. She wrapped her arm around him and held onto him, and they watched as Batman and Nightwing quickly took down Joker.

"Almost had you, little birdie," Joker said with a grin, when he was ushered past Robin. Robin glared at him.

"Ignore him," Batgirl whispered to him, holding Robin close to her. Batman and Nightwing walked up to them.

"Why did you go after Joker alone?"

"I was trying to stop him," Robin replied, leaning against Batgirl.

"Batman, this isn't the time," she replied, looking around at all the police. He followed her gaze and nodded. Robin bit his cheek, knowing a fight was coming.

* * *

"How is he, Alfred?" Bruce asked, watching as Alfred took his gloves off and threw them away.

"Not good, Master Bruce. He had a broken arm and a bruised rib. He's resting now."

"What on Earth was he thinking?" Bruce asked, anger crossing his face. Dick and Barbara looked down. "Keep an eye on him, Alfred."

"Will do, sir," he replied, watching as Bruce strode past him. Alfred followed behind, and the two teenagers stood there, letting out a deep breath.

"Is he going to be ok?" Barbara asked, looking down at Jason.

"Yeah, but he's going to be in so much trouble."

She rubbed Jason's head, looking down at him. "He's been so different ever since he found out about Sheila."

"I knew it was affecting him more than he says it was."

"What are we going to do?"

He shook his head, biting his cheek. "I don't know."

She placed her hand on his arm, and he turned to give her a soft smile. "Go home, Barb. You need to get some sleep."

"I suppose you're right," she replied, looking down at Jason. "Tell him I'll be by later."

"Will do," he replied, and he was in shock when she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. "He'll be ok, Babs."

"I know. Get some sleep, Grayson."

* * *

Jason groaned as he opened his eyes, adjusting them to the cave. When they finally came into focus, he realized that it was hard to breathe.

"Good morning, Master Jason."

"A-Alfred?"

"Take it easy," Dick said, pressing his hand to Jason's head. "You have a broken arm and a bruised rib."

"What happened?" he asked, his mind foggy and refusing to clear.

"You went after Joker alone. That's what happened."

"Right."

"What were you thinking?" Dick asked him, looking down at Jason.

"Not now, Master Dick. He needs his strength."

Bruce walked into the cave, and Jason looked down almost immediately, knowing the fight that would be coming soon enough. He walked up to the bed and looked down.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm ok."

"Rest up."

"I will, sir," he said. Bruce and Alfred turned away, and Dick looked down at his little brother. "I don't need a lecture, Grayson."

"What did I tell you the first night you went out as Robin?"

"Stay away from Joker."

He put his hand on Jason's shoulder as he sat own on the bed. "This isn't a game, Jay. Joker-he won't hesitate."

Jason didn't reply, and Dick let out a sigh. "I'm just glad you're ok."

"Yeah." Jason replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Me, too. Bruce is going to ground me for life."

Dick pressed his lips together. "Don't worry about it, Little Wing. You'll get in a lot of trouble, but Barbara and I will be here for you. You know that."

"I know. Thanks."

"Try to get some rest, ok? You look exhausted."

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at his bed again.

Dick clapped his shoulder again before standing up. Jason closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

* * *

"Hey, Babs," Dick said, letting her in.

"Hi, Dick. How's Jay doing?"

"Better. He's been resting."

"Do you mind if I go see him?"

"Go on ahead."

She walked up the stairwell and stopped at Jason's door, knocking softly. When she was given permission, she walked into the room.

"Hi, kiddo."

"Hi, Barbie," he replied, sitting up in the bed. She sat next to him on his bed.

"How do you feel?"

"Better," he replied, grabbing hold of his side. "You're going to lecture me, aren't you?"

"No," she replied, pushing his hair out of his face. "You'll be earning enough of that over the next few days."

"Thanks," he said, dropping his head.

"Jason, promise me you won't ever do something like that again. Joker is dangerous. You can't fight him alone."

He nodded, his head still dropped and looking down at the blankets. She put her finger under his chin and lifted it back up.

"Jason."

"I promise."

She smiled, pushing his hair out of his face once again. "You need a haircut."

"I don't like it this long."

"Why don't I take you to get your haircut when you get to feeling better."

"You would do that for me?"

"Of course I would. Why wouldn't I?"

"I thought you'd be mad at me."

"I'm not mad. I'm just glad you're ok. Besides, Dick's hair is getting a little long too. He's such a drama queen, though, he probably wouldn't want to get it cut." Jason laughed, then coughed. "Sorry. I'll try not to make you laugh."

"S'okay," he replied, leaning back against his headboard. He then grinned at her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just thinking about how beautiful you are."

"There's the Jason I know. Glad to see you're feeling better."

"A lot better," he replied, and she rubbed his head, smiling at him.

"Get some more rest. I'll catch you later."

"Yeah," he replied, and she stood up and walked out of his room, closing his door behind her. Looking ahead, she spotted Dick laying across his bed, his phone above his head.

"Hey, goofball."

"Oh, hey, Babs," he replied, turning to look at her. She smiled down at him.

"Being lazy today, are we?"

"Like normal," he replied with a grin, and she let out a laugh. "How's Jay?"

"He was flirting with me, so he's doing a lot better."

"Good," he replied, and then he grinned at her again. Her eyes narrowed before he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her onto his bed.

"Dick!" she cried, laughing as she did so. He started to tickle her, and she couldn't stop laughing. "Stop it!"

"Ask nicely."

"Please!" she breathed out, and he let go out of her.

"That's better."

She got her breathing back under control before she realized where she was. Quickly getting off of his bed, she smoothed her clothes out, watching as he looked up at her in confusion.

"Maybe we should go down to the living room."

"Yeah," he replied, getting off the bed. Her heart stammered in her chest as they walked downstairs to the living room.

' _This is way too complicated.'_

* * *

"There you are," Barbara said, once Jason walked up to them. "Ready to go home?"

"As long as you're driving."

She laughed, ruffling his hair as she did so. "C'mon, let's get you home."

They walked out to her car, where Dick was waiting for them. They all got into the car and drove back to the manor.

"How was school, Jay?" Barbara asked him, looking through her rearview mirror at him. He shrugged.

"As boring as it usually is."

"You sound a lot like Dick anymore," she replied, turning her head to look at Dick. He shrugged.

"He's learning well."

She shook her head. "You're a bad influence."

"I'm a good brother."

"Not," Jason coughed, and Dick turned around and glared at him.

"Just remember who the older one is."

"I'm the better one."

"Remind me again why I hang out with two boys?" she asked herself, shaking her head in the process. Dick grinned at her.

"You love us."

"Sure," she replied, turning into the manor driveway. "We'll go with that."

"Don't worry, Gordon. We know the truth."

"Whatever," she replied with a laugh, parking the car.

"Something wrong, Jay?" Dick asked, furrowing his brow when Jason stood outside of the car.

"No."

"Has Bruce talked to you yet?" Barbara asked Jason, once they stepped through the manor doors. Jason shook his head.

"Not yet."

"I wouldn't stress about it too much. You'll probably be grounded for a month."

"Joy," he replied, as they removed their coats and shoes. Alfred walked into the hall.

"Welcome home. There's some snacks in the kitchen if you're hungry."

"Thank you, Alfred," Barbara replied, and he nodded before turning away. They all walked into the living room and sat around the coffee table.

"Babs, can you help me with this chemistry homework?"

"Yeah," she replied, looking over his assignment. Jason pulled open his English book and began to work on it. They worked on their homework for about a half-an-hour before Alfred walked into the living room.

"Jason, Master Bruce would like to see you in the cave."

Jason swallowed before he stood up. Barbara gently squeezed his arm before he followed Alfred down to the cave, spotting Bruce sitting in his chair. He looked up when Jason stepped in front of him.

"Glad to see you're feeling better."

"A lot better."

Bruce looked away, and Jason knew that something big was coming. A moment of awkward silence fell between.

"Bruce, I'm sorry. I knew better than to go after him alone."

"I'm sorry, too," he replied, and Jason's heart skipped a beat. "As of this moment, you're benched indefinitely."

"What?" he asked, his eyes widening. "Bruce-"

"I mean it. I've given you several warnings and several chances. Far more than I probably should have. You're done for now."

Bruce stood up and walked away. Jason leaned against the Batmobile and crossed his arms, anger flowing through him. After a few more minutes he turned and walked back up the passageway, passing Dick and Barbara in the hallway.

"Jay? What happened?"

He didn't reply, but he ran upstairs. Dick and Barbara looked at each other.

"Uh oh."

"I wonder what happened," she said, worry filling her. "I think we should go talk to him."

"Barb-"

"I'm serious, Dick. Let's go talk to him."

"This is a bad idea," he said, and she rolled her eyes as she turned up the stairwell. They stopped outside of his door, and she softly knocked on it, worry filling her when she got no answer.

"Jay? Are you in here?"

"Barb, let's leave him alone. He doesn't want to talk."

She let out a sad sigh as she followed him back downstairs. They walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, their homework forgotten on the coffee table.

"When did things get so complicated, Dick?"

"I don't know," he replied, looking at the wall. "I guess this is the issue with getting older."

She nodded in agreement. "Have you talked to Wally lately?"

"Not really," he replied, rubbing his head.

"I'm going to miss her, too. She's my best friend, but they have to live their lives, Dick."

"I know. I'm happy for them. I really am. I'm just remembering back to a few years ago when we formed the team. It was the six of us traveling the world to try and save it."

"Now look at the team you've started. Since that Fourth of July, I've joined, Jason has joined, Tula, Garth, Garfield wants to join. Did you ever expect it?"

"I knew the team would get bigger eventually. That was our goal. It's just strange how things have changed."

"I know what you mean," she whispered, leaning forward on the couch. "When I first saw Robin alongside Batman, there was a part of me that always wanted to be out there with them. Every night I would stay up late and watch outside my window for you or Bruce to swing by. I always wanted to go to the rooftop with dad just to see you. When I found out that you were Robin, I wanted nothing more than to be by your side. Here we are now. You as Nightwing, me as Batgirl, Jason as Robin. It's crazy how much time changes things."

He nodded in agreement. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"I'd love that, thank you," she said, smiling at him. "I'll have to meet up with you lot with Gotham. I need to get my car back home."

"Thanks for driving us home."

"You're welcome."

He walked over to the movie case and pulled out a movie. She smiled when she saw it.

"Would you like to watch a movie before dinner?"

"I'd love to," she said.

He put the movie in, and they watched it until Alfred called them for dinner. Standing up, they walked into the dining room and sat down, watching as Bruce sat next to them.

"Where is Jason, Alfred?"

"I called him down for dinner," he replied. "I'll go get him."

"Bruce, what happened between you and Jason?"

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "I've made the decision to bench Jason."

"Bruce-"

"And I don't want to hear any more about it," he ordered, and Dick immediately quieted down. Barbara dropped her head as she picked at her food. A moment later Alfred returned with Jason.

"Evening, Jason."

"Bruce," he replied, sitting down in his seat. Dick and Barbara looked at each other.

"It's for the best, Jason."

He didn't reply, but he played with his dinner. Everyone ate their dinner in awkward silence, not sure what to say to one another. Bruce quickly finished his dinner and walked down to the cave without another word. The moment he was out of sight, Barbara turned to Jason.

"How are you doing?"

"How do you think I'm doing?" he snapped back, continuing to play with his food.

"I'm so sorry, Jason," she whispered, softly squeezing his shoulder.

"We'll try talking to him."

"Don't bother," he replied. "He's not going to change his mind."

"Maybe some time away from Robin might clear your head. You've been distracted ever since you found out about Sheila."

Jason didn't reply, but he picked at his food, before finally taking a bite. Barbara looked up at Dick, who dropped his head. They sat in silence as they all finished their dinners.

"I have to go," Barbara told Jason.

"See you tomorrow," he said quietly, and she bent down so they were face-to-face.

"You'll be back in the suit in no time. Use this time to clear your head."

She pinched his cheek before she got into her car and drove off. He let out a frustrated sigh.

"It's for the best, Master Jason."

"If you say so, Alfred."

"I'm sure there's some homework you can be working on."

He stared at the wall before he turned and walked upstairs. Reaching his room, he closed his door behind him and grabbed for his laptop. Connecting it to the Batcomputer, he began to do research.

"Computer, pull up Jason's birth information."

" _All information available."_

He rubbed his face, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Sheila's name once again. "Computer, look up Sheila Haywood. Gotham City."

" _Accessing…..no information available."_

"Dang it," he whispered, rubbing his face again. "Continue the search. Go worldwide. Access only: Robin."

" _Robin access file. Haywood, Sheila."_

He bit his cheek, wondering to himself if he should tell the others what he was doing. Deciding against it, he closed his laptop and grabbed for his math book, wondering if the computer would be able to find her.


	19. Acceptance

"It's so different without Robin here," Batgirl said, looking out at the city below. Nightwing nodded, looking down as he thought about Jason back at the manor.

"Robin needs time away from the suit," Batman said, looking down below. "He needs to clear his head."

"Are you sure this is the best idea?" Batgirl asked, and he turned to look at her. "Sorry."

"I did the right thing. He'll return to the suit when I feel the time is right."

She looked down, watching as the cars passed by on the street below. Nightwing placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up and threw him a small smile.

"In the meantime, we have things to do," he continued on, and the two teenagers turned to look at him. "Mad Hatter's loose, and we need to find him."

"Help him find Alice?" Nightwing joked, and Batman turned his head to look at him.

"Let's move," he said, and Batgirl let out a giggle before following after him. They hopped on their bikes and followed after the Batmobile.

* * *

"Hi," Barbara said, sitting down next to Jason. He didn't look up, but chose to continue reading from his book. "You're not going to talk to me, are you?"

"You're going to ask me how I'm feeling. I'm not really in the mood to talk."

"Come on, it's me. You always talk to me."

"Barbie, I'm fine."

She wrapped her arm around his shoulder, and he let out a sigh as he closed his book and looked up at her.

"Don't let Bruce get you down."

"Do I ever?" he replied, and she softly petted his head and laid it on her shoulder.

"I know you tried to do the right thing."

"Barbie, I'm fine," he said, looking up at her. "I promise you."

"Ok," she said, pushing up his chin so he could look at her. "Promise me you'll talk to me if something's bothering you."

"I promise," he sighed out, and she smiled and ruffed his hair.

"Good. Now, come on. I'll race you outside. We can see which one goes faster."

He stared at her for a minute before he broke out into a grin, throwing the book onto his bed as he did so. "I'll beat you."

"No, you won't, Todd!" she said, chasing after him. He grinned, and that's how they spent the next ten minutes.

* * *

Dick looked at himself one more time in the mirror before he grabbed for his bookbag and walked down the stairs. The grin that was plastered on his face didn't seem to leave him.

"OH JASON!" he called, practically skipping through the house. He finally spotted Jason sitting in the living room, who was looking up at him with an annoyed expression.

"What are you so chipper about?"

"Do you know what day it is?"

Jason thought about it for a minute before it dawned on him. "Oh, no."

"That's right, little brother. I can finally drive you around."

"Oh, no," he repeated, burying his hands in his face. Bruce walked into the room.

"What's he upset about?"

"Oh, he's just loving the fact that I can drive him now."

Bruce nodded his head, before turning back to Dick. "Now that you can, I expect you to be extra careful."

"I will be."

"Good luck, young sirs," Alfred said.

"Thanks, Alfred," they echoed, before they grabbed for their bookbags. They walked out to the garage and to Dick's car, and a smirk appeared on the elder's face when he noticed Jason's hesitation.

"Come on."

"You scare me."

"You're a whiner. Get in the car."

Jason threw his backpack into the backseat before he climbed into the passenger seat. Dick started up the car and drove away from the manor, looking over towards Jason every once-in-a-while.

"You can turn the radio on. Or use your phone. Whatever you want."

Jason reached over and turned the radio on, allowing the music to overtake the awkward silence that filled the car. Dick bit his cheek, wondering what he should say to him.

"Still mad at Bruce?"

Jason didn't reply, but he looked out the window, watching the scenery as it went by. Dick clicked his tongue.

"You're not an easy person to talk to, you know."

"Maybe I don't want to talk," he snapped, and Dick's eyes widened at the sudden change of tone.

"Ok. Well, Barbara's coming over after school."

Jason didn't say anything, and they remained quiet until they arrived at the school. Jason quickly got out of the car and walked inside. Dick let out a deep breath before he grabbed for his bookbag from the backseat and locked the car. He then walked inside and spotted Barbara and Artemis talking.

"Morning, ladies."

"Good morning, Dick. Where's Jay?"

"I don't know. He's in one of his moods again."

"Still mad at Bruce, huh?" Artemis asked, watching as Dick nodded.

"Yup."

"It's not like he meant to do it," Barbara said, turning to look at him.

"How are you, Art?" Dick asked her.

"Tired. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Yeah, neither did I," he replied, and Barbara turned to look at him.

"He's being a whiner."

"Am not!" he replied in a fake-cry, turning to glare at her. She rolled her eyes.

"You two are….interesting to listen to," she said, looking between them. Dick and Barbara looked at each other.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"Good thing," she replied, smiling down at them. "Anyway, I better go. Catch you at lunch."

"See you later," he said, watching as she turned and walked away. He turned back to Barbara.

"So, Gordon, still coming over tonight?"

She smiled. "Do you want me to?"

"Duh," he replied, rolling his eyes. "It's been tense around the manor lately."

"I can imagine," she said, following him down the hallway. "I'll be there."

"You're the best," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She smiled.

"I try."

"Hey, we could go to MJ, if you want to."

"Jay can't go."

"He'll be fine."

"Dick," she said, turning to face him.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," she said, before looking at her watch. "Class is about to start. We better go."

He nodded, and they turned and walked down the hallway, splitting off to get to their class.

* * *

"Bruce, can we talk?" Dick said, leaning against the Batmobile down in the Batcave. Bruce turned around in his chair.

"About?"

"Jason. Don't you think it's been long enough?"

"It's my decision, Dick."

"Bruce, c'mon, he knows he messed up. Give him one more chance."

Bruce cranked his neck. "He could have died. Joker isn't someone to mess with."

"So, I'll talk to him. Please."

He rubbed his chin, clearly deep in thought. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you," he said, before he turned and walked back up the stairs. He spotted Jason walking up the stairs. "Hi."

"Hi?" he questioned, furrowing his brow.

"Is Barbara up there? I haven't seen her."

"I think she's outside," he replied, before disappearing. Dick clicked his cheek.

"Pain," he muttered, before walking outside. He spotted Barbara sitting by the pond, and he smiled as he walked over to her. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Dick!" she said, jumping right before she let out a laugh. "You scared me."

"Lost in thought?"

"A little."

He sat down next to her and stared out over the water as well. "I think I might have convinced Bruce to let Jay back on."

"Do you think he'll let him?"

"I don't know," he replied, rubbing his hands together. "Jay's been in such a mood ever since, maybe he'll actually be happy again."

"He's just going through a rough time right now," she said softly.

They sat in silence as they stared out over the pond, the warmth of the late-March air hitting their skin. She let out a soft breath, and he turned to face her.

"Something on your mind?"

"Not really. Just enjoying the weather."

"It really is nice," he said, looking around.

"We should probably start our homework."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes, whiner," she replied, playfully rolling her eyes as she tugged on his hand. He grinned up at her before he finally stood up and followed her into the living room. Once they reached it, his phone started buzzing.

"Wally texted me, saying that he and Artemis have some news," Dick said, looking down at his phone. "They want to come to the manor."

"I wonder what it is," Barbara said, furrowing her brow.

"I don't know. I invited them over for dinner."

"Mind if I stay?"

"Of course you can stay."

Jason walked into the living room and sat at the coffee table. He then pulled his math book out and started to work on his homework.

"Hello, Jay," Barbara said, sitting on the couch next to him.

"Hi, Barbara."

"Need some help?"

"I think I got it," he said, and she nodded, watching as Dick sat down next to her.

"Good afternoon," Alfred said, setting down a tray of snacks.

"Afternoon, Alfred. Is it ok that I invited Wally and Artemis over for dinner?"

"Of course it is. They are always welcome here."

"Thanks," he said, watching as Alfred nodded before he walked into the kitchen.

"So, Babs, do you mind helping me with this mythology project?"

"Let's work on it together," she said, grabbing for her bookbag. They all spent the next hour working on homework before the doorbell went off.

"I'll get it," Dick said, before he rushed to the front door. Wally and Artemis stood on the other side. "Evening."

"Hi, Dick," they echoed, before they walked inside.

"So, what's the big news?"

"Eh, eh," Wally said, watching as Dick rolled his eyes. "We'll tell you after dinner."

"Fine," he sighed, leading them to the living room.

"Hi," Barbara said, looking up once they walked into the room.

"Hey, red," Wally said, grinning at her. "Jay."

"Wally, Artemis," he greeted, before looking back down at his homework.

"They won't tell us until after dinner," Dick said, sitting down next to Barbara.

"You two look awfully happy," she said, looking between them.

"It's really good news."

"I bet that's killing you," Barbara said, smirking at Dick, who narrowed his eyes.

"I hate not knowing."

"Whiner."

They sat around and walked until Alfred called everyone for dinner. When they all walked into the dining room, they spotted Bruce sitting in his chair, waiting for them.

"Wally, Artemis, welcome," he greeted.

"Thank you for having us."

"You're always welcome here."

"I hope everyone enjoys their dinner," Alfred said, serving everyone.

"I always do, Alfred," Barbara replied with a smile.

"Suck-up!" Dick coughed, and she turned to glare at him.

"Eat your dinner," Bruce ordered, and Barbara smirked at him.

"Bruce likes me better," she whispered tauntingly.

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"What are you two whispering about?" Wally asked.

"None of your business."

"Bruce, Bruce, your son is so rude sometimes."

"Dick, manners," Bruce said, taking another bite of his food.

"C'mon, Gordon, you're getting me in trouble here."

"Tough," she replied, eating her peas.

They all finished their dinners, and Barbara and Alfred cleaned up and served dessert. Once everyone had a piece, Dick turned to Wally and Artemis.

"So, Wally, Artemis, you have some news to share with us?"

"We do, actually," she replied with a smile. "You tell them."

Wally smiled. "Artemis and I got accepted. We're moving to Palo Alto."

"Congratulations," Barbara said, giving them hugs.

"Congratulations," Dick said, giving Artemis a hug and shaking Wally's hand.

"Congratulations," Jason said, shaking their hands.

"Thank you," they echoed, practically beaming.

"That is very exciting news," Alfred said, looking between them. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Alfred," they echoed, smiling at him.

"You both have worked very hard for that. Congratulations," Bruce said, shaking their hands.

"Thanks, everyone. Unfortunately, that means that we'll be leaving the team, Bruce."

He nodded. "I completely understand. Best of luck to the both of you."

"Thank you," they echoed.

Barbara looked at Dick, who turned and threw her a smile. She threw him one back, gently squeezing his hand in the process.

Everything was about to change, they just didn't know it yet.

* * *

"Jason," Bruce said, walking up to him in the living room.

"Yeah?"

"Here," he replied, giving him a box. Jason furrowed his brow as he opened the box, his mouth opening in surprise.

"Robin?"

"You're getting the suit back."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes widening in surprise. Bruce nodded.

"I think it's time, but if you ever-"

"I get it," Jason said, looking over the suit. "Thank you."

"I mean it, Jason. Follow orders."

"Yes, Bruce," he replied, and Dick softly clapped his shoulder.

"Congrats, bro."

"I told you you'd be getting the suit back," Barbara said, winking at him.

"Suit up, all of you. We're going out."

They quickly jumped up and ran to put their suits on. When they were all ready, they met with Bruce down in the cave.

"I'm going to meet with your father at GCPD. Meet me at Wayne Enterprises."

They nodded, hopped on their bikes and drove off. When they finally arrived at Wayne Enterprises, they pulled their grapnels out and flew up to the top of the building.

"It's really warm tonight," Batgirl said, tugging on her suit.

"Kind of odd for April."

"I agree," she replied. "Hey, Robin, welcome back."

"Thanks, BG," he replied with a grin.

They sat on top of the building until Batman finally showed up. Once he arrived, they all immediately stood up.

"What's the plan tonight, boss?"

"We're going after Victor Fries. He broke into a research facility last night and stole something. We've got to find him before he hurts anyone else."

"Does my father have any leads?"

"No. They lost the lead on him."

"Sounds like we better find him," Nightwing said, rubbing his hands together.

"Let's move. Robin, you're with me."

Robin's face dropped a little, and Batgirl rubbed his head and smiled at him. They grappled back down to the vehicles and followed the Batmobile to the research facility.

"This is the one he broke into?" Batgirl asked, looking up at the building.

"I'm heading inside. I want the three of you to look at security footage. See what you can find."

They nodded, and he grappled away. Grappling up themselves, they quietly broke into the building, looking around the security control room. Batgirl hacked the encryption, and she pulled up the security footage, quickly looking through it.

"Find anything?" Nightwing whispered, looking over her shoulder.

"Not yet. Oh, there!"

She replayed the footage, watching as Freeze broke through the wall. Quickly taking down the men, he approached the middle of the lab. The camera was suddenly destroyed.

"Damn it," she whispered, typing at the keyboard. "He destroyed the footage."

"Come on, BG," Nightwing said, and they quickly left, returning to the rooftop as they waited for Batman.

"Well, that was no use."

Batman returned, looking amongst them. "Anything?"

"Cameras were destroyed. We couldn't find anything out."

"He stole some chemicals from the lab below. Who knows what he's planning."

"Any idea on where he may be?"

"That's what we need to find out, before he strikes again."

"It could take forever to find him."

"We need to start by thinking of places where he could hide. He needs the cold to survive. More than likely, he'll be hiding in an abandoned cold building."

"What about the old ice cream factory?" Batgirl said, pulling her gauntlet up. "He could be stashed out there."

"It's a start," Batman said, looking at the information she pulled up. "It'd be a good place for him to hide."

They quickly grappled back down to their vehicles and drove off, stopping not far from the plant. Grappling up to the top of the building, they looked through the skylights.

"See anything?"

"It does look icy in there," Batgirl said.

"We're going in."

They found an opening, and quickly snuck into the building, looking around at all the ice that the building was covered in.

"Well, if he's not here now, he was," Nightwing said, taking a look around while trying to avoid the chill that was nipping at them.

"YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE!"

"He knows," Nightwing said, and they all jumped out of the way when an ice shot was thrown at them. Turning around, they spotted Freeze approaching them.

"Victor! Don't do it!" Batman ordered, holding his hand up. When another shot went off, they all jumped out of the way again.

"We need to distract him," Nightwing said to Batgirl and Robin, who nodded in agreement. "Let's try maneuver ten, but alter it."

They nodded, watching as Batman began to fight Freeze. Batgirl grappled away, and Nightwing and Robin turned to Freeze.

"Hey, Freeze, longtime, no see!" Nightwing taunted, throwing batarangs at him.

"I will not let any of you stop me!" he replied, shooting his gun off towards them. Batgirl emerged from the ceiling, kicking his gun out of his hands.

"Robin, now!" Nightwing ordered, and he quickly jumped over Freeze. Smashing his staff into his head, Nightwing and Batgirl quickly threw the ropes around him, watching as he fell face-first onto the floor.

"It's over, Freeze. Stop this life."

"I have to save Nora!"

"Nora wouldn't want you to do this, and you know it!"

"I have to save her!"

"It's over, Freeze," Batman repeated again, listening to the sounds of the sirens nearby. "Let's go."

* * *

"Hello, Barbara," Paula said, opening the door.

"Hi, Paula."

"Artemis is in her bedroom. She's waiting for you."

"Thank you," she said, before she walked down the hallway to Artemis' bedroom. She knocked on the door and waited for a response before she entered it.

"Thanks for helping get me ready," Artemis said, once she stepped inside.

"I'm happy to."

She sat down in the chair in front of her makeup mirror, and Barbara put her bag onto Artemis' bed before she sat down on it.

"So, what does Wally have planned?"

"He's picking me up here, then taking me out for dinner before we go the hall."

"How romantic," Barbara replied, watching as Artemis smiled in the mirror.

"I can't wait."

Artemis started applying her makeup, and Barbara looked around her room. "How's your mom doing?"

"She's sad that I'll be leaving soon," she replied, "but she's happy."

"I'm happy for you. You and Wally will have so much fun in Palo Alto."

"It's going to be so crazy living on our own for the very first time. Wally and I are already arguing about how to decorate the apartment."

Barbara laughed. "I can't help you with that fight."

"Is Wally at the manor?"

"Yeah. Dick's going to drive him into the city when he's ready. More than likely they're goofing off."

"Oh, I'm sure of it," Artemis replied. "I can't leave those two alone for a minute."

"Good thing Wally's fast. Even if he's running late, he can still get ready faster than anyone."

Artemis looked at her through the mirror, and something sank in her stomach as she immediately recognized that look.

"How's your crush on Dick doing?"

"Art-"

"Don't you "Art" me. You two would be so cute together!"

"He doesn't like me that way, Artemis."

She turned around in her chair. "Barbara, I see it. He cares about you so much. Why not ask him out? What's the worst that could happen?"

"What's the worst that could happen? Eight years of friendship down the drain! He's been my best friend since we were eight years old. I leaned on him to help me get through my mother leaving. If I come out and tell him how I feel, and he doesn't feel the same way, it could ruin everything."

"Or, you're being dramatic and won't realize that he cares for you, too."

She looked down, rubbing her hands together. "He doesn't see me that way."

"Stubborn," she chanted, and Barbara rolled her eyes.

"Can we get back to getting you ready for prom?"

"If you say so," she replied, turning back to her mirror.

They spent the next hour talking, and Artemis finished her make-up while Barbara helped her with her hair. When both were done, Barbara sat back down on the bed.

"Ok, make-up's on, hair is done, time to change," Artemis said, getting out of her seat.

Barbara nodded and walked out of the room. She waited for a few minutes before Artemis called her back in.

"Artemis, you look so beautiful!" Barbara said, looking over her dress. She smiled.

"Thank you. I've been so excited for this."

"As you should be. It's your prom night!"

"I can't believe I'm graduating next month."

"I'm going to miss you," Barbara said, giving her a hug. "Palo Alto's so far away."

"I know," she replied, fixing her dress strap. "It's time for Wally and I to move on. You have my phone number. Anytime you want a girl's day to talk about stupid boys, I'll be right back to Gotham."

Barbara laughed, clutching her stomach in the process. "Boys are very stupid, aren't they?"

"Usually. Ok, I think I'm finally ready."

"Have fun tonight," Barbara said, watching as Artemis picked up her bag.

"I will."

There was a knock on the door, and they both walked out of her room to spot Artemis' mother opening the door. Wally stood on the side.

"Hi," Artemis said, smiling at him.

"You look beautiful," he said, before he gave her her corsage.

"I'm excited for tonight."

"Me, too," he replied back, throwing her a smile.

"I want a picture!" Paula said, holding up her phone.

"Mom!"

"Artemis!"

Barbara smiled as she walked over to the door, spotting Dick standing outside of it. "Hey, stranger."

"Hey, Barb," he replied, putting his phone away. "You look nice."

She looked down at her attire, wondering what was so special about it. "Thanks."

"Hey," Artemis said, meeting them out in the hallway, "my mom wants you both in the pictures, too."

They smiled and followed behind her back into the apartment. They took a few pictures before they all broke away.

"Ah, look at the two little sophomores," Artemis said, watching as Dick turned and glared at her.

"Are you guys leaving?" Barbara asked, watching as they nodded. "Have fun tonight."

"We will," Wally said, grinning at her. Artemis smiled.

"We better go. Bye."

"Bye," they echoed back, watching as they turned and walked down the stairs. They said goodbye to Paula before following after them.

"Good work, big head," Barbara said, ruffling his hair. Dick laughed, smacking her hand away in the process.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Sophomore year is almost over with," she replied, walking back out to his car. "I can't believe it."

"Me, either," he said, starting up the car. "Hey, let me take you out to dinner. My treat."

"I'd like that," she said, closing the car door. "Marco's sound good?"

"Sounds perfect to me," he replied with a grin, watching as she put her seatbelt on. He started to drive off, and she turned the radio on, watching as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you touching my radio?"

"I just might be," she replied with a smirk, and one fell on his own face.

"You should know better than to touch my radio."

"Touch," she said, touching one of the buttons.

"You're asking for it, Gordon."

"I'm so scared, _Grayson_."

She looked out the window, smiling softly as she watched the scenery pass by her. The old buildings of Gotham never ceased to amaze her, and even jumping from rooftop to rooftop each and every night, she couldn't help but to admire them.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The city," she whispered, and he continued to stare ahead as he drove on. "A lot of people find it a dark city, but I think it's so beautiful."

"One of the things I loved about being in the circus was being able to travel all the time. I loved being able to see to see new cities, new people, new cultures. It made the traveling so much easier."

She looked down before she reached over for his hand, squeezing it softly. He gave her a soft squeeze back, continuing to drive.

"How's Jay doing today?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen much of him, actually."

She looked out the window again, and silence fell upon them as he continued to drive towards Marco's. When they finally arrived, they got out of the car and walked inside, Barbara smiling when Dick held open the door for her.

"How many?" the hostess asked.

"Two," Dick said, and they followed her to the booth. They were given the menus, and they both looked over them.

"Everything looks so good," she said, looking over it. Dick smiled.

"I know. I can't make up my mind."

"Hello," the waiter said, walking up to them. "I'm Carl, and I'll be your waiter. Can I start you with something to drink?"

"Water, please," she said, and Dick repeated the same to him.

"I'll be right back."

"Thank you," he said, before turning back to Barbara. "You know, if Wally and Artemis were here, they'd say we were on a date."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Weren't they arguing for months before they started dating?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, leaning back in the booth. "Drove all of us crazy."

"Now they're going to be living together."

"Time flies."

"It does," she said. "We've been friends for eight years."

He shook his head, turning to look out the window. "I'll always remember my best friend letting me cry on her at the GCPD that night."

She smiled. "I remember my dad trying to break us apart. They were wanting to take you to the care center."

"You kept refusing. You wanted to stay by my side."

"I was so sad when you were taken there. Dad knew it, and the moment Bruce adopted you, he brought me to the manor to see you."

"Here's your waters," Carl said, putting the waters onto the table. "Are you ready to order?"

"Oh," she said, pulling the menu back up. "We might need a few more minutes."

"I'll be right back," he said, and they nodded as they continued to look over the menu.

"I think pasta sounds good," she said, closing her menu.

"I think I'll have the Cajun chicken," he said, closing his own. He then looked back up at her. "Do you remember our first Christmas together?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head, a smile plastered on her face. "I remember. Dad and I went to the ball that night, and I was having so much fun that I didn't want to leave. Alfred suggested staying at the manor, and dad was hesitant, but he agreed. After dancing for a while, Alfred had us change into our pajamas, and he put a movie on, popped some popcorn for us, and we sat next to the tree and watched the movie until we fell asleep."

"We woke up the next morning, and your dad had returned to watch you open presents. Alfred made us breakfast, and we got to steal a cookie. You both had dinner with us."

"That was an amazing Christmas."

When the waiter returned, they placed their orders before he turned to walk away. Silence fell upon them as they looked at the table.

"I remember all of it," she said, and he looked back up at her. "Everything you and I have done together."

"You're my best friend, Barb. Maybe, just, don't tell Wally that."

She busted out laughing, and he grinned at her in response. "You're mine, too, Dick."

"Even when I got you in trouble?"

"All those times you got me in trouble."

He took a drink of his water, and she leaned back in her booth, looking straight at him. He sat back in his own as well.

"Everything's changed so much."

"Yeah," she whispered, looking down at her bracelet. "It has. I remember when you were this tall."

She illustrated with her hand, and her narrowed his eyes as a smirk grew on her face. Taking a sip of his water, he bit his lip, watching her closely.

"Let's see, Gordon. I'm quite a few inches taller than you now. Do you really want to play this game?"

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. You enjoy my company."

"No, I don't."

He smirked, and she playfully glared at him. "Just admit it, Babs. Admit I'm the best person to be around."

"I will never admit that."

"You will soon. I know you will."

She shook her head, and they continued to talk all the way through dinner. When they finished, they walked back out to the car, laughing to one another as they did so.

"I can't believe you remembered that!"

"How could I forget? We were in the sixth grade, and it was basketball day in gym class. You were running past me to try and make the basket, and you slipped and fell right on your face."

She blushed furiously. "That really hurt!"

"Yeah, I can imagine that a gym floor doesn't feel too good."

"Shut up!" she said, shoving him. He let out another laugh as they finally reached his car.

"Do you want to stop by your apartment?"

"No. I'll just ride into town with you later," she said, and he nodded and he started on the path back to the manor. They were both quiet until he pulled into the driveway and parked the car in the garage.

"No matter how many times I drive here, it never gets old," she said, and he smiled at her.

"It's a peaceful drive, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she whispered, following him back into the manor. The moment they walked into it, they knew something was wrong.

"I have a bad feeling," Dick said, and Barbara nodded in agreement.

They spotted Alfred in the kitchen, nervously scrubbing the countertop. They stared at him for a minute before Dick spoke.

"Alfred? Is everything ok?"

"No, Master Richard. We haven't heard from Jason."


	20. A Death in the Family

"Alfred, are you sure he's just not answering his phone?" Dick asked, watching as Barbara pulled her cellphone out to call Jason.

"He hasn't answered all day. He told us he was going to Mount Justice, but he was never there."

"Voicemail," Barbara said with a sigh. "Jason, it's Barbara. Please call me back when you get the chance. Whatever this is about, we can talk about it. Just come home. We're all really worried about you here."

She hung up, letting out a deep breath as she did so. "Dick and I can go back into town and look for him."

"Master Bruce is down in the cave right now trying to find him."

"We're going down there," Dick said, and she followed him downstairs to the cave, watching as Bruce looked through files on the computer.

"Do either one of you have any idea where he is?"

"No, Bruce," Barbara said softly, shaking her head. "He didn't answer my call, either."

Bruce didn't look away from the screen, furrowing his brow when something caught his eye. "This shouldn't be here."

"What is it?" Dick asked, walking up to the computer.

"It's a hidden file Robin created." He opened the file, looking through it.

"It's about Sheila Haywood," Barbara noted, quickly reading through it.

"He's been looking for her," Bruce said. "He's used the Batcomputer to do a search."

"Did he find her?"

"According to this, she's in Qurac."

"You don't think he went there, do you?" she whispered, before they all dropped their heads. "Jason."

"We have to get there," Bruce said, pulling up his cowl. "Alfred, I'm taking the Batwing."

"We're going, too," Barbara said, looking up at Bruce.

"Let's move," he said, and they quickly changed and got into the Batwing, watching as Bruce began to fly off. Throwing her head back, Barbara wondered what Jason was thinking.

"I knew we should have talked to him," she whispered, watching as Dick gently put his hand on her shoulder.

* * *

Jason walked through the crowd, looking around for any signs of Sheila. Heart pounding, he finally found the medical tent she was stationed at and walked inside.

"Can I help you?" a man asked him.

"I'm looking for Sheila Haywood. Is she here?"

"Who are you?" a woman asked, turning around. His breath stuck in his throat.

"My name is Jason. Jason Todd. You're my mother."

Her mouth opened in surprise as she looked down at him. "Jason?"

"Yeah," he said, looking down.

"Look at you," she whispered, bending down to see him. "What are you, fifteen now?"

"Almost," he said, and she placed her hands on his face.

"Wow," she whispered, shaking her head. "You look a lot like your father."

He didn't reply, and she rubbed his face, smiling at him while she looked at her long-lost son. There was silence for a few minutes.

"I get off in an hour. Wait for me, and we'll talk, ok?"

"Yeah," he said, and she rubbed his head.

"I'll see you soon."

"Mom," he said, and she gently squeezed his hand, throwing him a small smile.

"One hour. Just wait for me."

* * *

"I've been able to reactivate the tracker in Jason's suit," Bruce said, putting the plane on autopilot. "I've got a lock on him."

"Thank goodness," Barbara breathed out, and Dick squeezed her shoulder.

"I told you we'd find him."

"Yeah," she said, placing her hand on her chest.

"Stay together," Bruce ordered, turning back to the controls. "We're going to find Jason, and bring him home."

"What about Sheila?"

"We'll talk to her, too," he replied, looking ahead.

"I hope he's ok," Barbara said, and Dick nodded in agreement, pulling his gauntlet up.

Bruce landed the plane, and they all got out. He pulled his gauntlet up and activated the signal.

* * *

"How did you get here?" Sheila asked, once Jason walked back inside.

"I sort of ran away, I guess."

"Why?"

"So I could find you," he said, looking up at her. "I saw your name on my birth certificate."

"You shouldn't have come here alone," she replied, putting everything away.

"I wanted to find you."

She didn't reply, but she finally turned around, opening her mouth. "What are you wearing?"

"I'm Robin, mom. Dad went to prison, and my stepmother died of a drug overdose. I lived on the streets, but I've turned everything around. I got off the streets, became Robin, and I'm doing well in school. Ever since I found out about you, I've done everything I could to find you."

"This just got a whole lot better."

"No," Jason whispered, heart pounding in his chest as he looked past Sheila.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

* * *

"We're closing in on Jason's signal," Nightwing said, watching as Bruce sped up. Driving through the land, he maneuvered around, trying to his best to get to the location as fast as possible.

"There it is!" Batgirl said, pointing to the building. Batman quickly parked the truck and they all stepped out, rushing to the building as fast as possible.

That's when their vision blurred, and they were all thrown backwards.

They fell to the ground as the building blew around them, disorienting them. Batgirl immediately pulled herself up, her eyes watering as she struggled to stand, struggled to get to Jason. Bruce ran inside the building.

"Babs," Dick said, running up next to her. They waited for the longest minute of their lives before Bruce finally emerged from the wrecked building.

"No!" Barbara cried out, when she saw Jason's limp body in Bruce's arms. "NO!"

She screamed out in pain as she started to cry. Dick found himself struggling to breathe as Bruce moved forward and placed Jason's body on the truck, bowing his head.

"Jay," he whispered, tears falling down his face. He wrapped his arms around Barbara and they started crying together.

* * *

Alfred's hand shook as he poured the tea into cups, closing his eyes as he attempted to stop himself from crying. Walking into the dining room, he spotted the two teenagers sitting at the table, completely silent. Barbara was crying.

"Thank you, Alfred," she choked out, holding the cup he had just given her in her hands. Next to her, Dick was completely silent, biting his cheek.

"He was so young," Alfred said, collapsing into the chair.

Dick suddenly stood up and walked out of the room. Barbara dropped her head as she put the cup down.

"Excuse me, Alfred," she said, before following after Dick. "Dick, wait!"

He didn't stop, and she finally caught up to him, grabbing hold of his arm to stop him. He finally stopped walking, but didn't turn to face her.

"Dick," she said, tears streaming down her face and her voice cracked. He finally turned around, his own face wet with tears. "Dick, please."

"I can't-" he finally said, barely able to talk.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. His arms snaked up her waist, and he buried his face in her hair.

"My brother's gone," he finally said, lifting his head up.

She started crying harder, and he felt the tears slip down again and onto her head. Biting his lip, he cried with her, not wanting to let go or leave her.

"My brother's gone."

* * *

"Artemis?" Paula said, gently shaking her awake. "Artemis, wake up, sweetheart."

"Mom!" she cried, throwing her pillow over her head.

"Artemis, Green Arrow is here. Something's wrong."

She sat up in her bed, furrowing her brow in confusion. "What is it?"

"I don't know, honey. He's saying it's urgent. Come on, get dressed and meet us in the living room."

She quickly threw her covers off of her and ran to her closet to change. When she was ready, she met with them out in the living room.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?" Paula asked Arrow, who shook his head.

"I'm fine, thank you. Artemis," he said, standing up when she walked into the room.

"G.A.? What's going on?"

"Artemis, sit down," he said, gesturing to the couch. She took his spot on the couch. "Artemis, something has happened."

"What is it?" she asked, furrowing her brow. He rubbed his face, unsure of where to start.

"Robin went missing. They located him in Qurac, but the building he was in exploded."

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. Tears started pouring down her face, and Green Arrow sat next to her while her mother wrapped her arms around her.

* * *

"Iris! Barry! What a surprise."

"Is Wally awake? I need to speak with him," Barry said.

"Is something wrong?" Mrs. West said, concern written all over her face.

"Something has happened, and Wally needs to know."

"I'll go get him. Have a seat."

They sat on the couch, Barry taking a deep breath as he rubbed his face. Iris gently rubbed his back.

"Uncle Barry? Aunt Iris?" Wally said, walking down the stairs.

"Morning, kid. How was prom?"

"It was awesome," he said, before he furrowed his brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Actually, there is."

"Wally, honey, sit down," Iris said, and he sat in the chair across from him.

"What's going on?"

"Wally," Barry started, before turning his head away. "Wally, Robin's gone."

"What?" he said, his hand going to his mouth.

"He went missing, and they followed him to Qurac. The building he was in exploded, and he was killed in the blast."

He shook his head, his hand still pressed against his mouth. A second later he stood up and ran away, out the door.

"Wally!" he called, before running after him.

* * *

"I can't believe Wally and Artemis are leaving us soon," Zatanna said, flipping through the page of her book.

"I know," M'gann replied, sitting down next to her. She took a drink from her bottle. "It's so wonderful they're achieving their dreams, though."

"Ladies," Garfield said, sitting down next to them.

Black Canary and Wonder Woman stepped into the living room, both with somber looks on their faces.

"Is something wrong?" M'gann asked, worry clearly etched onto her face as she looked up at them. Canary dropped her head.

"Everyone's here, right?" she asked, looking around. "We need to talk to all of you."

"I'll go get Connor," Garfield said, before he stood up.

"Kaldur, Garth and Tula should be here any minute," Canary said.

"What's going on?" Zatanna said.

"We'll tell you in a minute," Wonder Woman said softly. Garfield returned with Connor, and Kaldur, Tula and Garth all walked into the living room.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Tula asked, looking between the two women.

"Something has happened. Robin passed away last night."

"No," M'gann whispered, shaking her head as tears spilled down her face. Zatanna pressed her head to her mouth and turned away towards Tula. Aqualad, Garth, and Superboy all dropped their heads.

"This will be a very difficult time for everyone," Canary continued on, struggling to find the words. "During this time, we should give Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl the space and time they need."

There was no response, just silence and the sounds of those who were crying. Wonder Woman and Canary both bowed their heads.

* * *

Bruce walked through the manor, his mind foggy and his head bowed. Walking past Alfred's room, he spotted the elderly man asleep on his bed. He turned his light off and closed the door, before walking down to Dick's room. Pushing the door open, he looked inside, but spotted no one in the room. Turning away from it, he walked downstairs, and finally found Dick on the couch. Turning off the living room lights, he quietly walked back upstairs, stopping outside of Jason's bedroom.

He turned the door handle and opened the door, flipping the light on as he did so. Looking around, he let out another deep breath as he spotted the clean room. Breath tightening in his throat, he dropped his head and put his finger against his mouth.

 _He ran into the building, looking around for any signs of Jason. Finally spotting him, he quickly ran up to him._

" _Jason!" he whispered, falling to his knees. He picked him up, dropping his head._

" _He saved my life!"_

" _Sheila?" he asked, turning to her._

" _It was The Joker. He was here. My son saved my life," she breathed out, before her own eyes closed and her breathing stopped. Bowing his head once again, he stood up and walked out of the building, nothing but guilt, hurt and anger raging through his body._

Picking up Robin's mask, he held it tightly in his hand, closing his eyes as he did so.

' _I'm sorry, Jason.'_

He shut the light off and closed the door behind him, before he walked to his own room and closed the door behind him.

* * *

"We are gathered here today to lay this young man to rest," the minister started, and Barbara wiped her face, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Next to her, Dick was having trouble holding on.

Bruce and Alfred stood on the other side, both with somber looks on their faces. Her father and Emily stood next to her, heads bowed. Wally and Artemis stood next to Dick.

The minister continued on, but she was having trouble focusing. Her mind was clouded in disbelief as tears poured down her face.

Jason, her little birdie, was gone.

" _I'll race you, Barbie!"_

" _I'll win," she grinned back, watching as he grinned up at her._

" _Nah uh! I'm faster!"_

" _Let's see," she replied, getting into stance. "Race me around the track. Winner is deemed the fastest."_

" _Got it," he said, also getting into stance._

" _Three, two, one, go!"_

 _They both took off, running around the track of the outdoor court. They were staying close to one another, and she managed to pull ahead and reach the finish line._

" _Darn it!" he breathed out. "You win fair and square, Batsy."_

" _Did you let me win?" she asked, narrowing her eyes and placing her hands on her hips._

" _No," he replied innocently, with a voice all-too familiar. She smiled._

" _You are quite the gentlemen, little one," she said, fluffing his hair._

Jim placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him, her eyes watering so bad that she couldn't focus. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, reminding her that he was there.

Barbara kept crying, and Dick felt a tear slip through himself. He moved his hand and hooked it through hers, giving it a soft squeeze. She squeezed back.

The casket began to lower into the ground, and they both dropped their heads. Tears streamed down both of their faces and they squeezed each other's hands as hard as they could.

* * *

"No, thanks, Emily," Barbara choked out, when Emily offered her a drink. Putting it onto the coaster on the table next to her, Emily sat down and wrapped her arms around Barbara, watching as she started crying into her chest.

"I know you loved him," she whispered, rubbing Barbara's back. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Emily rubbed her hair as Barbara continued to cry into her chest. Jim stood on the other side, bending down so he could be next to his daughter.

"Barbara," he said, kissing her head.

"I need some fresh air," she said, and she broke free of Emily's grasp and ran out of the living room, throwing open the door to the back patio as she did so. The rain was pouring down, splatting against the ground. Falling to her knees, she buried her head in her hands, her body shaking as she let it all out.

"Red."

"W-Wally?" she asked, looking up. He helped her up, giving her a tight hug as he did so.

"Come on back inside. You're getting wet."

Artemis wrapped a towel around her shoulders as they walked back inside.

"Where's Dick?" she asked, looking around for any sign of him.

"I haven't seen him in a while," Artemis said, wiping her face with her tissue.

"I better go find him," she whispered, before turning away from him. She walked around, her face stained with tears as she attempted to look for Dick. She maneuvered her way through the crowd, trying her hardest to find him. Not spotting him in sight, she walked upstairs.

"D-d-ick?" Barbara cried out, trying not to cry. "Dick, where are you?"

She spotted Jason's door partially opened, and she pushed it aside, finding Dick standing in the middle of the room.

"Dick," she said softly, watching as he turned his head towards her.

"Why, Barbara?" he whispered, and she walked up next to him. "All he wanted to be was Robin."

She didn't reply, but she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. His wrapped around her waist, and he rested his head on top of hers.

"He would be so mad, knowing that I'm in his room," he choked out, looking around. "He never let anyone in here."

She buried her face in his chest, and he gently rubbed her hair, feeling the tears slide down his own face.

"I love you, Dick," she whispered, clutching onto him.

"I love you, too, Barb," he said back, his breath getting stuck in his throat. "I want you to know that."

"I do," she breathed out, and he pulled her as close to him as possible.

"Are we interrupting?" Artemis asked, softly knocking on the door. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"Artemis," Barbara said, walking up to her. They hugged each other and started crying.

"Dick," Wally said, giving his best friend a hug.

They all brought each other in for a hug, remaining silent as they mourned for Jason. Breaking apart from one another, they turned and walked out of Jason's room, closing the door behind them. Dick wrapped his arm around Barbara's shoulder as they walked down the staircase, and she reached up and grabbed for his hand.

Neither left each other's side the entire day, even as the manor began to clear out.

"Thanks for being here," Dick said, giving both Wally and Artemis a hug. Barbara did the same.

"We're so sorry. Jason-he was a great kid."

They nodded, dropping their heads. Saying goodbye to them, they fell to the couch, both at a loss for words.

"Barbara, honey," Jim said, placing his hand on her cheek. She nodded, wiping her face.

"Will you be ok?" she asked Dick, who nodded. "Call me, Dick. I don't care what time it is. Call me if you want to talk."

"I will," he said, and she gave him another hug before she followed her father out of the manor. Now alone, Dick looked around the living room, unable to focus.

" _I'll beat you!" Jason said, grabbing for the Xbox remote. Dick grinned._

" _You wish!"_

" _Let's place a bet," he said, holding his hand out. "Five dollars says I'll beat you."_

" _Deal," Dick replied, shaking his hand. Jason started the game, and they started to play._

" _Giving up, Grayson?"_

" _Not quite," he replied, and hit the button, watching as Jason's mouth fell open. "Five dollars, please."_

" _I hate you," he replied, reaching into his wallet._

" _But I just oh-so love you," he said, pocketing they bill. Jason glared at him._

Burying his head in his hands, he suddenly felt all of the memories rushing back to him. He didn't lift his head out of his hands until he heard footsteps walk into the living room.

"Bruce," he said, dropping his head once again.

Bruce didn't say anything, but he stepped down the step and sat beside him. After a few minutes of silence, he reached up and wrapped his arm around Dick's shoulder, and silence filled the living room.

* * *

"Wally, Artemis," M'gann said, jumping up once they entered the room.

"Hello, M'gann."

"How are you?" she asked softly, walking up to them.

"Not well," Wally replied, looking up at her.

"Have you heard from Nightwing and Barbara?"

"Yeah," they both replied, looking up at one another. "We've been going to see them."

"How are they doing?"

They shook their heads. Wally answered. "They've been so quiet. Barbara's been crying nonstop and Nightwing won't say a word."

She shook her head, pressing her hand to her mouth. "I wish I could help them."

"They haven't left each other much," Artemis said, and Wally nodded in agreement. "We haven't even left each other much."

"I wish there was more we could do to help."

"Time and space," Wally said. "They said they're taking a break from the team until they're ready to come back."

"I don't blame them. What about Batman? I heard he's still out there."

"You know how Batman is. Even after losing Robin, he's not giving up the fight."

"Batman's way of grieving, we suspect," Artemis replied, dropping her head. "He hasn't talked at all."

The zeta tube went off, and Flash stepped, walking over to his protégé after he did so. A.T.O.M. arrived behind him.

"It's ready," Flash said, and he moved aside, showing him.

"Thank you for doing this."

Flash nodded and clapped his shoulder. Gesturing to Connor, he walked over to one end and watched as he walked to the other. They carefully carried the stand down into the room. Once it was set into place, they turned it on, watching as the hologram of Robin suddenly appeared. Zatanna started handing everyone candles, and Wally followed behind her with a lighter.

"A moment of silence for our fallen teammate," Wally said, once everyone's candles were lit. they held their candles up, dropping their heads as they thought of Robin.

"He was so young," M'gann said, tears forming in her eyes. Connor wrapped his arms around her.

"He was a good friend," Artemis said, looking up at the statue.

"We'll miss you, Robin," Zatanna said, walking up next to Artemis.

They all bowed their heads once again, remembering their fallen friend.

* * *

"Barbara?" Jim asked, softly knocking on her door. "Pumpkin, are you in here?"

"I'm right here," she said, walking out of the bathroom. Her face was red, and her eyes were puffy.

"Pumpkin," he said, giving her a hug.

"I miss him, dad," she said, and he kissed her head.

"I know, Barbara," he replied, rubbing her back. "Are you going to be ok while I'm at work?"

She nodded, breaking away from him. "I'll be ok."

"Call me if you need anything," he said, placing his hands on her arms.

"I will."

"I'll be back later," he said, kissing her head. He grabbed for his wallet before he walked out of the apartment. She stood in place for several minutes before she grabbed hold of a picture frame and sat back down on the couch.

"Jay," she whispered, running her finger across the picture. Tears started running down her face again, and she grabbed for a tissue, wiping her face off as she struggled not to sob again.

There was a knock at her door, and she carefully put the picture down and went to answer it, spotting Dick on the other side.

"Hi," she said softly, holding it open so he could walk in.

"Hi," he replied dully, stepping into her apartment. "How are you doing?"

She didn't reply, but she closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it. He sat down on the couch and placed his head in his hands.

"I can't stop crying," she finally said, feeling her eyes water once again. "I can't believe I'm never going to see him again. Hear the name Barbie again. I can't-"

He held his hand out to her, and she moved to the couch, sat down next to him, and buried her head in his shoulder, unable to stop herself from crying. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes.

"Do you mind that I'm here?" he asked, after a few minutes.

"No. I'm glad you're here."

"I just can't stand to be at home right now," he replied softly.

"How's Bruce doing?" she asked softly, pulling away from him.

"You know Bruce. He'll never show emotion. I haven't seen him much. He's either in the cave, or he's out. Alfred has stuck to his room."

She dropped her head, tears coming to her eyes again. He put his hands on either side of her face and wiped them, unsure of what to say.

"How are you doing?"

He didn't reply, and she grabbed for his hands and locked them in hers. Letting out a deep breath, he gently squeezed her hands.

"It's so quiet anymore. I miss him so much, Barb."

"Me, too," she whispered, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

She laid her head on his shoulder, and he placed his on top of hers. Rubbing her arm, they sat quietly, both lost in their thoughts.

"Remember when we first met him at the care center?" she asked, and Dick nodded.

"Yeah. He was so uncomfortable being there."

"And Bruce adopted him and brought him to the manor. He was so happy."

Dick continued to rub her arm, feeling his shirt get wet. She lifted her head up and wiped her face off.

"He tried so hard, Dick," she whispered, and he nodded, kissing her head.

"I know."

He held on tightly to her, and she buried her head in his chest. Silence filled the air they sat on the couch.

"I miss him, Barb." There was no answer. "Barb?"

He looked down and spotted her fast asleep on his shoulder. Grabbing for the throw blanket, he gently wrapped it around them and kissed her head. After a few minutes, his own eyes closed.

* * *

Dick let out a soft breath as he opened his eyes, opening and closing them a few times to get adjusted to the light. When he opened them, he spotted Barbara fast asleep.

' _Babs,'_ he thought, pushing her hair out of her face. Her eyes opened, and they stared at each other, unable to turn away.

"Hi."

"Hi," she whispered back, closing her eyes again. "What time is it?"

"Six," he said, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Thanks for staying," she said quietly, closing her eyes again. "I didn't want to be alone."

"Neither did I," he whispered back, leaning over to press his lips to her head.

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked, digging deeper into his chest.

"This is so much harder than I thought. I don't want to go home."

"I wish you could stay," she whispered back, placing her hand on his cheek. "I don't want you to leave."

He pressed his lips together, really not wanting to leave her side. He didn't want to go home. The manor reminded him too much of Jason.

Here, in her apartment, he could get away, if only for a bit.

She grabbed for a tissue, and he laid his cheek on her head, holding her as close to him as possible. She dabbed at her eyes, resting her head on his chest.

"I wish I could stay."

She grabbed for his hand and intertwined them, squeezing hard. He let out a soft sigh, giving her a squeeze back.

"What's this?" Dick asked, looking down at the picture.

"It's the first day Jay was adopted, when we went to the mall."

"Yeah," he replied, looking down at the picture. "We took it by the fountain at the mall."

She looked over at it, smiling softly at the picture lost in time. He gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"He was so happy."

"He was," he choked out, his throat tightening again as he remembered that day.

She reached for his hand and squeezed it, and he kissed her head, feeling his chest tighten up once again.

"I miss him."

"I miss, him, too," she said, and he pulled her as close to him as he could.

* * *

"Put it up, Alfred. I need to see it," Bruce said, bowing his head as he looked down at the keyboard.

"Right away, sir," Alfred said, wiping his face as he grabbed hold of Jason's uniform. He walked over to the glass case and started to hang the uniform up, right as Dick walked down.

"What's going on?"

"We're hanging Jason's uniform up," Bruce said, not moving his head. Dick walked over and assisted Alfred, his chest tightening.

"He was so young," Alfred said, dropping his head. Dick wrapped his arms around him and gave him a hug, feeling his chest tighten once again. Bruce pulled his cowl back on and got into the car, driving off without saying a word.

"If you don't mind, Master Dick, I need some time."

"Of course, Alfie," he said, watching as Alfred walked up the stairs to the passageway. Dick turned back to the outfit in the case and fell to his knees, bowing his head.

"I'm sorry, Jason," he said, feeling his eyes water again. "I'm sorry we couldn't get to you. I'm so sorry."

He dropped his head for a moment before he finished putting the suit up. Closing the glass case, he turned and walked back upstairs, Jason's suit now a part of the cave.

Stopping at the foot of the entrance, he thought to himself before he walked out the patio door. Putting his hands in his pocket, he walked down the pathway and opened the iron gate, looking around.

He walked slowly out to the cemetery, his breath catching in this throat as he walked up to the headstone. Once he finally reached it, Dick dropped to his knees and placed his hand on the stone.

His breath hitched in his throat, and he felt his eyes water. "You were my brother. I loved you. I'm so sorry I let this happen. It shouldn't have happened. I should have been with you. I'm so sorry."

Tears fell down his face, and he dropped his head. He felt a hand slide onto his shoulder, and he gently placed his hand over Barbara's.

"I shouldn't have given him Robin," he finally said.

"Don't do this," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his back. She bent down so she was next to him. "This is not your fault."

"Bruce didn't want him on the team. I convinced him that Jason would be a good addition."

"Don't do this to yourself," she whispered again, feeling tears form in her eyes. "Jason wouldn't want you blaming yourself."

They both fell silent, and Dick felt his throat tighten up. After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke.

"Thanks for being here."

"I miss him so much," she said, and a tear slipped down her face.

They both fell silent, and she moved to put the flowers into the holder, bowing her head as she did so.

"I love and miss you, Jay," she whispered, and he helped her back up, pulling her in for another hug.

"I miss you, too, Jay," Dick said, looking down at the gravestone. "We all miss you."

They stared at the stone for a few more minutes before they turned and walked away. Keeping his arm wrapped around her shoulder, he led her back to the manor, both silent.

"Are you going to the cave?" she asked, her voice stuck in her throat. "Artemis says there's something there they want to show us."

"Yeah," he said, softly squeezing her shoulder. "Let's go."

They walked out to his car, and he quietly drove off to the booth, both thinking about Jason. When he pulled into the garage, they got out of the car and into the booth, appearing at Mount Justice.

"Thanks for coming," Artemis said softly, grabbing for Nightwing and Barbara's hands.

"What is it, Artemis?"

"We have something we want to show you," she said softly, and they followed her downstairs. Once they got to a door, they noticed it now read "Memorial Chamber."

"Memorial Chamber?" Nightwing asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah," Wally said, clapping his shoulder. He opened the door, and both of their mouths fell open when they walked up to the statue.

"Robin?" Barbara whispered, her eyes watering as she looked up at it. Nightwing wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"We wanted to honor him," Wally said softly, looking over at them.

"Thank you," Nightwing said, unable to look away from the hologram.

"This is-" Barbara started, pressing her hand to her mouth. "This is amazing."

"We're never going to forget him," M'gann said, giving them both hugs.

"None of us will," Wally said, and Nightwing nodded, biting his cheek.

"No, we won't," he finally said, and Barbara reached over and grabbed for his hand, giving it a soft squeeze as she did so.

"It's good to see you both again," M'gann said, watching as they both dropped their heads.

"Barb and I are taking a leave of absence," Nightwing said, looking away. "We don't know when we'll be back."

Everyone nodded, before they dropped their heads. Barbara squeezed his hand again, unable to look away from Robin's hologram.

"Barb?" Nightwing whispered, grabbing for her attention. She turned to look at him.

"Nightwing, I need a minute," she whispered back, and she broke free from his grasp and walked away. She walked out of the room and back upstairs, tears forming in her eyes once again. She then walked out to the beach and sat down, staring out over the water.

" _Come and get me, Barbie!"_

"Robin," she whispered, dropping her head.

"Hi," Zatanna said, sitting down next to her.

"Hi, Z."

"I'm so sorry," she said, turning her head towards Barbara. "Robin was a great friend."

"He was," she whispered, watching as the water edged up to her toes.

They sat quietly, watching as the water moved back and forth against their feet. Zatanna finally lifted her head up and looked over at her friend.

"You can talk to me, you know."

"I'm just not much in a talking mood right now," she replied, playing in the sand.

"I know," she said, moving to sit next to her. "I'm so sorry about Robin."

"Me, too," she choked out, tears forming in her eyes. Zatanna wrapped her arms around arm, watching as she buried her head into her shoulder.

"Barb," Nightwing said, bending down next to her.

"Nightwing," she said, pulling away from Zatanna to wipe her face. He helped her up.

"Come back inside."

She nodded, and he led her inside. They walked to the living room and sat down, watching as M'gann gave them cups of tea.

"Thank you," he told her, putting his down. Barbara's hand shook as she took a drink, watching as Nightwing's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No, thank you," they replied together.

"I wish there were more we could do for you."

"You've done plenty," Barbara replied, showing her the cup.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, dropping her head. A tear escaped her eye. "Robin was a good friend of mine. I can only imagine how you two are feeling."

"He was my brother," Nightwing said, and both of the girls dropped their heads.

"Nightwing," M'gann said, standing up to hug him.

Barbara dropped her head, more tears threatening her eyes. Nightwing broke away from M'gann and patted her arms.

"You shouldn't be alone at a time like this. Neither of you."

He didn't reply, but he finally raised his head, shaking it slightly. Barbara remained silent.

"We're here for you," Connor said, walking into the living room. "All of us."

"We're all family here," Zatanna said, joining them. "We've all grieved for Robin. We still are. You don't have to grieve alone."

Barbara stood up, and Nightwing looked over at everyone. She then walked beside him and linked her arm to his. They then moved forward and caught everyone in a group hug, bowing their heads in memory of Robin.

"We should probably be going, Barb," Nightwing said, breaking away. "Your father will be home soon."

"Thanks for everything," Barbara said, giving everyone a hug. Nightwing followed suit.

"We're here if you both need anything," M'gann said, looking up at them with compassion. "Don't feel hesitant to come and talk."

They nodded, looking down. Barbara gently squeezed his hand.

"We'll be back soon," Nightwing reassured.

"Take care," she said, giving them one more hug. They bid goodbye to everyone else before they turned to the zeta, disappearing.

"Are you going to be ok?" Dick asked her, once they both stepped out of the booth. She nodded.

"That was really nice what they did," she said, and he gave her another hug.

"Jay will always be remembered," he replied, and she nodded. "Come on, let's get you back home before Jim gets there."

"Yeah," she said, and they both walked away, not noticing a boy appear from the shadows.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile**_ **…**

A young woman walked through the corridor with several men following behind her. Walking up to a door, she pushed aside a piece of the wall and put a code in, watching as the door opened. Gesturing her head, she watched as the soldiers walked down into the room. She followed after them, looking around for signs of anyone else before closing the door behind her. Following after them, she met with them at the waters.

"Quickly. We don't have much time."

"Are you sure about this, m'lady?"

"Completely," the woman replied, taking the body from him. "This is the right thing to do."

"Your father will never approve."

"I will deal with my father. This is my choice."

"As you wish," he replied, bowing his head. She stepped into the water and let out a deep breath. Moving in deep enough for the water to reach her waist, she carefully let go of the body and watched as it sank below the waters, unmoving.

Her heart pounding in her chest, she waited, until the body finally started moving. It was thrashing around underneath the waters. His hands moved around his neck, as though he were struggling to breathe. Fear passed across her face for a split second before she reached down and pulled him back up, clapping his back as she did so.

"T-Talia?"

"Welcome back, Jason," she replied, helping him out of the waters.


	21. Timothy Jackson Drake

"Your father didn't take it well, I'm guessing?" the woman said, walking alongside Talia al Ghul as they circled the pond in front of the building.

"Not well at all, but I stand by my decision."

"And Jason?" the woman asked, once they moved from the pond and through the front doors of the house.

"I've had him moved here before my father returned home," she replied, walking up to a door guarded by two servants. Once she was in view, they bowed.

"Good morning, mistress."

"Morning," Talia replied, walking past them. "Is he awake yet?"

"Yes, mam. We were just about to call him for breakfast."

She walked up to the door and knocked on it, and walked in once she got a response. She spotted him standing at the window.

"Good morning," she said, walking up to him. Jason turned around.

"Where are we?"

"A safehouse," she said, moving closer to him.

"Why did you do it?" he whispered, looking down. "Why did you bring me back?"

She smiled softly, grabbing hold of his hand. "I have my reasons. Are you hungry? Breakfast is being served."

"Not really," he replied, looking down.

"You need your strength back."

He nodded softly.

"Good," she said, taking the clothes from the servant. "I have your clothes here for you. You can wash up and change. I'll meet you in the dining hall when you're ready."

He nodded, and she stood up and walked outside. Walking into the dining hall, she took her seat and waited for Jason to join her.

"Come sit down," she said, standing once Jason entered the hall. He looked at her for a moment before he sat down in the pulled-out seat. "I'm sure you're hungry."

"Why did you do it?" he asked once again, watching as she looked up at him. "Did you do it for Bruce?"

"Eat," she said softly, once the food was brought out.

He stared at her for a moment before he started to eat. She followed suit, and they both ate quietly for a few moments. Jason finally dropped his fork.

"I'm full."

"That's fine," she replied, pushing her own plate away. "How do you feel?"

"Better," he said, looking up at her. "Why did you bring me here?"

"My father wasn't too happy about my decision to revive you. I'm keeping you out of his way. This is my private safehouse."

"It's….nice," he replied, taking a look around. She stood up.

"Come with me."

He stood up as well and followed her out of the dining hall. She opened the doors and led him outside, taking him for a walk around the pond.

"You brought me back for Bruce, didn't you?"

"I am sorry to hear about what happened. I heard it was The Joker."

"He'll pay," Jason replied, anger spread all over his face. "He killed me, and my mother."

"You almost sound like you want revenge," she said in surprise, looking down at him as they continued to walk around the pond.

"Wouldn't you?" he asked, and she didn't reply.

* * *

"Bruce," Superman said, flying down beside him. Batman looked on. "We should talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, Clark."

"There's a lot to talk about. You just lost a son."

Batman didn't reply, but he continued to look down at the city. Superman let out a soft sigh.

"This can't be an easy time for any of you-"

"Clark, I'm fine. I'm going to finish up here and head home."

"If you ever need to talk…"

"I know."

Superman clapped his shoulder before flying off. Batman continued to survey down below, looking for any signs of trouble.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Quickly jumping down, he ran over to the sound of the screaming, throwing a batarang at the masked attacker. The woman ran away, and Batman quickly advanced up on the man.

"You think I'm scared of you?"

He pulled a knife out, and Batman quickly kicked it out of his hand, pushing the man up against the wall. The man began trembling.

"You want to rethink your strategy?"

"No, please!" the man begged, before Batman started attacking him.

Looking around the corner, the small child sighed before pulling up his hoodie and walking away.

* * *

"Good morning, Master Richard," Alfred said, once the teenage boy sat down in the kitchen.

"Morning, Alfie," he said, once Alfred put his breakfast down in front of him.

"How did you sleep?"

Dick shook his head, biting his cheek. "Not well."

"Me either, young sir," Alfred said, dropping his head.

"I should have been there for him, Alfred," he said, his voice cracking. "Barbara knew we should have talked to him. Maybe if we had…."

"You mustn't blame yourself, Dick."

"I just miss him, Alfred."

"I know, as do I," he replied, dropping his head as he turned back to the stove. Dick rubbed his face as he took a bite of his breakfast.

He couldn't believe it had been over a month since Jason's death.

The manor had been so much quieter. With Bruce out most of the time, and Alfred up-and-about to get his mind off of things, it was just so quiet and Dick had nothing to do but think.

Think about Jason, over and over again.

The doorbell rang, and Dick stood up to go answer it, not surprised by who stood on the other side of the door.

"Hey," Wally said, once the manor door was open.

"Hey," Dick said back, moving aside to let them in.

"How are you?"

Dick shrugged, closing the door behind them. They all walked to the living room and sat down.

"The team misses you," Artemis said softly, reaching over for his hand. "We all miss you."

"I can't go back," he replied, his voice cracking.

"We understand," she continued on, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"How's Bruce?" Wally asked quietly, as though he shouldn't have asked.

"Silent. I know he's blaming himself for what happened."

They didn't reply, and Dick looked out the window, biting his cheek as he did so. Artemis looked up at him with sad eyes.

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

He shook his head. "No. Everything's changed now."

"Everything has changed," she said, dropping her head. "We always knew there were risks, but I never expected…."

Wally gently rubbed her back, and Dick continued to look out the window, refusing to say anything. He heard the front door open, and a minute later Barbara walked through.

"Hi."

"Hey, red," Wally said, watching as she moved to sit down next to Dick.

"Hi, Wally," she replied quietly, watching as Dick looked over at her.

"Everything ok?"

"Yeah," she replied, throwing him a soft smile.

"What's wrong, Barb?"

She shook her head, and he reached over to grab for her hand. Wally and Artemis dropped their heads.

"Let us take the both of you out for the day," Artemis said, watching as Wally nodded in agreement. "We could go get some lunch and maybe see a movie? Whatever you both want to do."

"That sounds nice," Barbara whispered, and Dick nodded in agreement.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" Barbara asked, walking up to Dick. He shrugged.

"What I've been thinking about these last two months."

"I miss him, too," she whispered, moving to stand beside him.

"Joker," he muttered, dropping his head. "Joker killed him. I should have been there with him."

"Don't do this," she begged, turning to him. "Don't do this to yourself."

He didn't reply, and she continued to stare at him. He finally let out a soft sigh and lifted his head, turning it to look at her.

"I love you, Babs."

"I love you, too," she whispered back, kissing his cheek. He threw her a soft smile and squeezed her free hand.

"Let's go talk to Jay," he said, and she nodded, standing up alongside him. They walked outside to the cemetery, and she bent down in front of the white tombstone.

"Hi, Jay," Barbara said, falling to her knees in front of the stone. "Things are so different without you here. I wish you were still here. I miss being called Barbie all the time. I miss you."

Dick walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She stood up and placed her hand over his.

"Jason," he started, before dropping his head, "We all miss you. It's not the same in the manor without you here."

He fell silent, and she squeezed his hand, tears welling in her eyes. He stood up and gave her a hug, laying his cheek on her head.

That's where they stood quiet for several minutes.

"Let's get something to drink," he said, and she nodded against his shoulder. They walked quietly back to the manor. Dick looked over at Barbara and spotted her arms wrapped around herself, and he gently wrapped his own around her shoulder.

"Dick, someone's watching us," Barbara said, looking over the bushes. He looked over as well.

"That's our neighbor kid. Hey, Tim."

"Hey, Dick!" he called back. They walked up to him.

"What are you up to?"

"Just hanging out," he replied, jumping down from the tree. "Hey, Barbara."

"Hello, Tim. I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been busy," he replied. He then looked up at them, and a look neither could recognize crossed his face. "I heard about Jason. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," Dick said, looking down.

"How are you holding up?"

"Not well," Barbara replied, gently squeezing Dick's hand. She then noticed his look. "Are you ok, Tim?"

"Do you mind if we talk in private?"

"Is something wrong?" Barbara asked, looking down at him.

"I just want to talk."

"We can go inside," Dick said, looking over at Barbara. She nodded in agreement. He jumped over the bushes, and they led Tim inside the manor and to the informal living room. Barbara disappeared for a minute before she returned with some tea.

"What can we do for you?" she asked, giving Tim his cup. He took a drink before he put it down.

"You're not going to believe what I'm going to tell you."

"Spill," Dick said, looking at him.

"I know."

"Know what?" Dick asked, leaning against the arm chair with his arms crossed.

"I know that you're Nightwing, you're Batgirl, and that Bruce Wayne is Batman."

Dick and Barbara looked at each other.

"Listen, I know it sounds crazy, but, well, I know for a fact that you two are. Dick, I was at the Haly's Circus that night. My parents took me to see it."

Dick looked up at him, and Barbara put her hand to her mouth. Tim reached into his bag and pulled something out.

"I don't know if you remember this, but I got to take a picture with you."

Dick took the picture and looked over it, smiling softly. "I remember. You were the last picture that night. This is the last picture I have with my parents."

"I saw everything. I was little, but I remember a black figure come to your aid. I didn't know it at the time, but it was Batman. He comforted you. Not long after, Bruce took you in. Then there was a kid your age running around as Robin. It was that way for years. I figured out that it was you and Bruce when I was nine. I put it all together. Then Batgirl joined you. A girl with red hair about Barbara's height. She hangs around here all the time. And then…."

He trailed off, and Dick and Barbara looked at each other. After a moment of silence, he looked back up.

"And then Bruce took in Jason, and suddenly there was a new Robin running around. A _different_ Robin. A new hero, named Nightwing emerged, and it was like that for a long time. Then…."

"Jason died," Dick said, looking away.

"Batman's been different ever since it happened. He's been hitting harder. He's getting hurt. He needs someone to watch him. Someone to help him."

Dick rubbed his face, and Barbara looked down, both unsure of what to say. Tim rubbed his hands together.

"What are you suggesting?"

"I know you're Nightwing now, but Batman needs a Robin."

"You want me back as Robin?"

"Dick!"

"He knows, Barbara," Dick sighed, rubbing his head.

"It's for the best," Tim replied.

"I can't," he replied, falling into the chair. "I can't go back as Robin."

"He needs one!" Tim said, and Barbara looked down.

"I can't, Tim," Dick said once again, and Tim let out a frustrated sigh.

"He's getting hurt!"

"I'm sorry," Dick said again.

Tim shook his head before he stood up. They followed him to the manor doors where it looked like he was about to leave before he turned back around.

"Batman needs a Robin," he replied, and Dick looked up. "No matter what he thinks."

Tim closed the door behind him. When the door closed, Dick pressed his back against it, watching as Barbara looked up at him.

"We're in trouble."

"Dick, don't underestimate Tim," she replied, walking up to him. "He's the smartest kid I've ever met. He's figured it out."

He rubbed his face. "Bruce is going to flip."

"Looks like he left something for you," she said, spotting something on the couch. Dick walked over to her and smiled sadly.

"He couldn't have been very old when this was taken."

"He figured out you and Bruce were Batman and Robin at _nine_ years old. _Nine_."

"He's good," Dick said, looking up from the picture.

"He clearly idolizes the two of you. He's spent his entire life figuring you out."

"That's actually pretty cool. I know Robin and Nightwing have inspired a lot of people, but Tim was inspired enough to actually figure out our identities."

"What now?" a voice asked behind him, and they both grimaced as they turned around, spotting Bruce standing there.

"Bruce! You're back!" Dick said quickly, watching as his guardian looked down at him.

"Tim who? Tim Drake?"

"Yeah," Barbara sighed out, watching as Bruce looked over at her. "He just came over to talk to us."

"He figured it out, Bruce," Dick replied, watching as Bruce's eyes narrowed.

"How much does he know?"

"Everything. He's intelligent. One of the best at Gotham Academy, and he's only in the seventh grade. He's good."

Bruce pressed his hand against his mouth, watching as the two teenagers both looked away. It was followed by a moment of awkward silence.

"What did he want?"

"For me to go back as Robin," Dick said, watching as Barbara nodded in agreement. "He says that you're not functioning right without one. He's convinced that you need someone by your side."

"No, I don't," Bruce replied, uncrossing his arms. "I don't know how he figured out our identities, but it ends there."

He turned on his heel and walked out the door. Dick and Barbara looked at each other.

"You've got to admit: Tim's good."

"He is," Dick said, rubbing his chin.

* * *

"Hey," Zatanna said, walking up to Wally and Artemis.

"Hi," they echoed back.

"How are they doing?" she asked softly, as though hesitant.

"They're doing better," Artemis said softly, watching as Wally's arm wrapped around her shoulder. "They still need some time, though."

"They know we're here for them, right? We haven't heard from them."

"They just need time, Zatanna. They know we're all here for them. They just need a little more time."

Artemis nodded in agreement, and Zatanna threw them a small smile, watching as the rest of the team walked up to them.

"Batman's called a mission for us. Wally, you're in charge. Kaldur's on assignment with Aquaman," M'gann said, watching as he looked up.

"Let's go team," he replied, moving forward to where Batman was waiting for them.

"You're all here. Good. I have an assignment for you. With Batgirl and Nightwing still out, and Kaldur on assignment, Wally, I'm putting you in charge of this mission."

Wally nodded, listening to Batman's instructions. He felt Artemis' hand slip into his own, and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Report back to me as soon as you get your intel."

"Yes, sir," Wally said, watching as Batman nodded his head before turning away. "Alright, you heard the man. Let's move."

They nodded, and went their separate ways to change. Artemis turned to Wally and gave him a quick kiss.

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah. Let's get the mission done and come back, ok?"

"Wally," she said, stopping him. "I know this wasn't our original plan, but, with everything's that happened…."

She trailed off, unable to form the words she was wanting to say. He walked up and pressed a kiss to her head.

"I know what you're saying. I'm glad we've decided to stay a little while longer, too. Nightwing and Barb will be back soon. They just need some more time."

She nodded, her heart hurting at the thought of Jason once again. He gently rubbed her shoulder before they moved to change.

* * *

Dick walked outside the manor, looking up as the sun hit him directly. Squinting his eyes, he looked back down, spotting Tim over the hedges. He slowly walked up to him.

"Dick?" Tim said, watching as the older boy looked over the hedges.

"Afternoon, Tim."

"What are you doing here?" he asked, walking up to him.

"You want to come over? I think we should talk."

"Sure," he replied, jumping over the hedges. Dick led him inside the manor and to the kitchen.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, thank you," he replied, sitting at the island. Dick pulled a water bottle out of the fridge.

"I've wanted to talk to you about all of this."

"Yeah?"

"You remind me a lot of Barbara. I've been best friends with her since the night my parents were killed. Her parents had just split up, and her father had to take her to the police department every night because he had no one to watch her. She was there when I was taken to the police department. A night, apparently, which you were there."

Tim nodded, closing his eyes. Dick continued on.

"We've been best friends for eight years now. She never figured out I was Robin until a few years ago. Like you, she started to put the pieces together. I was becoming busy with Robin and I wasn't hanging out with her nearly as much as I used to. She got upset, naturally, and I wanted nothing more than to tell her. Bruce refused. One night, when she was taking out the trash at her apartment, she was attacked. She was saved, and later on we found out it was Jason who saved her, but I got there too late. Jason saved her life, and I was furious. She saw Robin that night. I think that's when she figured it out. Much like you, who figured it out at nine-years-old."

"That's actually a pretty cool story."

"Bruce was adamant about Barbara not finding out. When she did, we found her one night, mask on face, trying to take down a purse thief. She wanted nothing more than to become a hero, and it took a lot of convincing, but I broke Bruce down and we trained her. She has proven that she belongs here."

"As much as I'm enjoying this story, why tell me this?"

"Because you're almost the same situation."

"You know I'm right. Bruce has been different since Jason died."

"Jason's death changed all of us. I lost my brother, and Bruce lost his son."

"I am sorry," Tim said, "but, you know I'm right."

"I do," Dick replied, putting his water bottle down on the counter. He then put his finger up to his ear. "Nightwing."

Tim looked down at the counter, watching as Dick's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Whoa, Barb, slow down. What's going on?"

" _Nightwing, it's a mess out here. Mad Hatter has taken a building full of hostages. Batman's not responding. I'm on my way now."_

"Give me some time and I'll be there," he replied, closing the link. "Tim, I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Go!" Tim said.

"Come with me," he said, and they both quickly walked to the study, Tim furrowing his brow when Dick started moving the hands to the clock. His mouth fell open when the passageway open, and Dick began undoing the buttons to his shirt, his suit being exposed underneath. "Welcome to the cave."

"Wow," Tim said, looking around. Once Dick was out of his clothes, he quickly hopped onto his bike and took off, leaving Tim with Alfred.

"This is a very risky move on Master Dick's part."

"He brought me down here for a reason."

"He certainly did. I wonder why, though."

* * *

Nightwing sped through the streets of Gotham, rushing as fast as he could to get to the building. Parking it not far from the building, he ran on, breaking through the door to enter the building.

Working his way around, he continued trying to find Batman and Batgirl, wondering where they could be. Unable to get ahold of them, he was stuck trying to look for them.

"Hey, fellas, are you a little lost?" he asked, watching as the two men turned around.

"Nightwing!"

"Aw, you know my name," he replied, moving to jump over them. He pulled out his ropes and threw them around the men's feet, watching as they stumbled and fell to the ground. Quickly binding their hands, he moved on.

" _Come to find Alice, have we? Oh, you'll just be dying to see!"_

"Come out, Tetch!" Nightwing said, pulling his batarang out. Something went past him, and he quickly turned around, looking for any sign of movement.

" _You're late!"_

"Here we go again," Nightwing said, rolling his eyes as he held stance, still looking for any sign of movement. Walking slowly though the building, he stood ready, looking for any signs of Tetch.

That's when he was taken to the ground.

* * *

"They're not answering, Alfred," Tim said, looking up at the computer screen.

"They're fine, Master Timothy. I promise you."

"Aren't you worried?"

"Of course I'm worried. I'm worried every time they put those suits on."

Tim looked at him sadly before returning to look at the screen. His mind was going in overdrive.

"How do they do this every day? Put those suits on and go protect Gotham?"

"Because they know they need to. Without Batman, Gotham would be in ruins."

Tim continued to stare up at the screen, his mind going into overdrive as he waited for any kind of response from the team. Alfred walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"They'll be ok."

"I hope so, Alfred," he replied, and Alfred gently squeezed the young boy's shoulder, worry beginning to pass over him.

When they still hadn't heard anything a half-hour later, Tim decided it was time to act.

"That's it. I'm going out there," he said, watching as Alfred immediately stood up.

"You are certainly not, young sir!"

"Alfred, they need help! Otherwise, they would have communicated by now!"

"Timothy, you cannot do this!"

"I'll be ok," he reassured, talking straight to the older man. "They need help."

Alfred let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he thought this through. After a minute, he walked over to a box and opened it, pulling something out.

"I believe this is why Master Dick brought you down here," he said, walking back over to Tim. "This is his old uniform. Be careful out there."

Tim took it from him, looking over it as he did so. He then nodded,

"I'll be ok."

"I hope so, young sir," Alfred replied, watching as Tim looked over the suit. "I should be stopping you from doing this."

"I'll be ok," he reassured him, moving to change into the suit. After he was changed, he returned back to Alfred, who gave him the domino mask that went with it.

"Be careful. If you find them, follow their orders."

"Yes, sir," Tim replied, grabbing for Dick's old staff. He then took a utility belt and wrapped it around his waist. "I'm going out."

"Take this," Alfred said, giving him a communicator. "I can communicate with you through it."

Tim nodded, putting it in his ear. He then grabbed for the keys to Barbara's cycle and started it up, driving it out of the cave as he did so.

Driving through the city, his heart was pounding in his chest, desperate to get to the building where they lost communication with Nightwing. Parking the bike near Nightwing's, he got off and looked up, wondering where to begin.

"Alfred, where do I start?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"I'm tapping into your mask. There's video footage I can use to see."

"Cool," Robin replied, looking up.

"There's a broken window down at the right corner. It's a good place to start. You should be able to find them that way."

"On it," he said, walking over to it. He quietly stepped through the window, looking around for signs of Batman, Batgirl or Nightwing. Moving slowly, he continued to look around, wondering where they are.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're all here. Shall we set the table, my dear?"

"Let us go!" Batgirl called, and Robin quickly moved around, taking a peek though the opening in the door.

"No, no, no. That will not do. We can't have the party without you."

"You're going back to Arkham. Now what have you done to Batman and Nightwing?"

"They are under my control now."

"I've heard enough," Robin whispered, pulling his staff out.

" _Do be careful, young sir. Mr. Tetch is a master of the mind."_

"I'll be ok," he whispered back, continuing to watch through the crack in the door. "I just need to get Batgirl free. I don't think she's under his control."

" _Use a smoke bomb to disorientate him. Get Batgirl free."_

"Good plan," he said, pulling a smoke bomb out of his belt. Throwing it through the crack, he waited for it to go off before turning on the detective vision, rushing over to Batgirl.

"Who's that?" she asked, looking around.

"A friend," he said quietly, cutting her ropes.

"No, no, no! Robin, is that you? This will certainly not do!"

"You need to get out of here," Batgirl said, rubbing her wrists.

"I'm here to help."

The smoke began to clear, and she quickly shielded Robin with her body.

"It's over, Tetch," she said, pulling her ropes out. "Where are the hostages?"

"Attack!"

Batman and Nightwing jumped through the floor, and Barbara looked between them, wondering how to attack.

"Go find the hostages. I've got them."

"Batgirl-"

"Go!" she ordered, and he rushed out the door. Looking back at them, she quickly jumped out of the way as Nightwing took a rush at her. Jumping once again to avoid Batman, she quickly pulled out her ropes and threw them around Nightwing's feet, watching as he collapsed to the floor. Avoiding another attack from Batman, she quickly ran over to Nightwing and threw the mask off, smashing it with her foot before Batman tackled her to the ground. Coughing slightly, she kicked him in the stomach, watching as Nightwing moaned and began to stumble to his feet. With Batman disorientated, she quickly ripped off the mask, watching as he shook his head.

"No, you don't!" Nightwing said, following after Hatter. He threw his batarang, and Tetch fell to the floor. "You're going back to Arkham."

"Alice!"

"Are you ok?" Batman asked Batgirl, helping her up off the floor. She nodded, grabbing for her side.

"I'm ok."

"No, you're not. We'll get you patched up at the cave," he replied, and she detected a hint of guilt in his voice.

"You weren't in control."

"Where are the hostages?"

"Er, year, about that," she replied, rubbing the cape of her neck. "We've had some help."

"What do you mean?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he looked at her.

"I made sure the hostages got to Comissioner Gordon," Robin said, rushing back through the room. Batman whipped around.

"You!"

"Batman," Batgirl said, getting his attention back, "he saved us."

"I don't want another one out here."

"You've been making mistakes," Tim said, walking up to him. "You let yourself get caught tonight. You need someone by your side to keep an eye on you. You need a Robin."

"Go home."

"You need a Robin. I don't care what you say."

Bruce rubbed his face, and Barbara gently wrapped her arm around Tim's shoulder and led him away.

"You've done good tonight," she said, bending down to look at him.

"Thanks, Barbara."

"You need to get home," Bruce said, looking down at Tim. "Dick, take your bike. Barbara, go to Dr. Thompkins. Get checked out. I'm taking Tim."

"Yes, sir," he replied, jumping down below. Barbara followed suit. Tim looked up at Bruce.

"Lecture time?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, nodding his head. Tim bit his lip as he looked back down before following after Bruce. The ride back to the cave was silent, and Tim's mind overworked itself as he wondered what the man would say to him. Once the car pulled in, he spotted Dick sitting against his bike, clearly waiting for him.

"I know what you're going to say," Tim said, once Bruce was out of the car. Bruce stopped. "You're going to say you don't need another one. You're going to remind me of what happened to Jason."

"Jason lost his life trying to be a hero. I'm not letting that happen to you, too."

"You need someone out there with you. You need a Robin. I tried to convince Dick, but he says he couldn't do it."

"I don't need a Robin."

"You've been reckless. You've been getting hurt."

"This is not a matter of discussion, Tim. I'm taking you home, and that's it."

Tim continued to stare at him, clearly not giving up. Bruce stared down at him.

"I want you to take that suit off, and I'll have Dick walk you home."

"Yes, sir," Tim said, moving to change. Dick stood up the moment he was out of sight.

"Bruce, maybe you should think about this."

"I'm not having another one out there," he said firmly, looking up at the screen.

"Tim's right, Bruce. You've been different since Jay's death."

"Tim is far different than you and Jason ever were. He has a mother and a father. If something were to happen…"

"We all get it, including Tim. Jason changed everything, but none of us can deny that you do need someone by your side. With the team, and Jason, I haven't been here for you. You're coming home injured, staying up all night, hitting harder, everything Tim said. Maybe he's right. Maybe you need someone by your side."

Bruce didn't respond, and Dick waited in awkward silence.

"I want you to take him home, Dick."

"Bruce-"

"Go," he replied, and Dick nodded before walking out of the cave. Bruce sat down in his chair and let out a sigh.

* * *

"Thanks for dinner," Barbara said, once Dick opened the car door for her.

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Feeling any better?"

"Just a couple of bruised ribs. I'll be ok."

She got into the car, and he walked over to the driver's side and got in, driving them back to the manor. She looked out the window.

"It felt weird, being back in the suits."

"I know," he replied, stopping at the light. "We haven't been in them for so long."

"Maybe, it's time we came back," she whispered, and he turned his head to look at her. "Bruce needs our help."

Dick nodded, moving the car once the light turned green. She stared out the window, watching the scenery as it passed by. They both remained silent until they drove into the manor, and once Dick parked the car, they spotted Tim walking into the manor.

"I wonder what he's doing here," Dick pondered, opening the car door. Barbara shook her head.

"Let's go find out."

They walked inside the manor and down to the cave, spotting Alfred near the entrance. They walked up to him.

"Good evening, Miss. Gordon," Alfred said.

"Good evening, Alfred. What's going on?"

"Master Bruce is having a talk with Timothy."

"Is he going to let him be Robin?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, gesturing his head towards the two. They looked past him and spotted Tim and Bruce sitting and talking. Silently, they walked up to them.

"Tim," Bruce said, "you understand everything, don't you? The risks? The responsibilities? The training that it would take?"

"I do," he replied, looking up at him.

"Do you understand that this is life or death, and you can't go back."

"I do."

Bruce sighed, and Dick and Barbara looked at each other, wondering what he would do next. They saw him glance in their direction before he returned his attention back to Tim.

"You have one of the most brilliant minds I have ever encountered. Your detective skills are unbelievable, and you helped with Tetch, despite having no training."

Silence fell once again. Dick gently squeezed Barbara's hand, his heart pounding in his chest as they waited for Bruce's response.

"If I allow this, you will follow every rule. You will never do anything you are not allowed to do. You will train for months before I allow you out there. Dick and Barbara will train you, but I will do the majority of your training. I decide if you go out there."

Tim lifted his head, watching as Bruce turned away from him and put his finger to his mouth. The silence continued for a few more minutes before he turned back around.

"You showed a lot of courage." There was no response. Bruce continued on. "A lot of courage."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Tim said, watching as Bruce turned his head.

"No. Before anything, you will go through training. A lot of training. Then, I will make a decision."

Bruce strode past him, and Tim looked up at Dick and Barbara. Once Bruce and Alfred were out of the room, he talked.

"I'm not trying to replace Jason."

"We know," Dick said, looking over at him.

"But Batman needs a Robin."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Barbara asked softly.

"Yes," he replied, fully confidant.

Dick held his hand out, and Tim took it, shaking it.


	22. Goodbyes

**I do not own anything. All characters belong to DC Comics.**

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Barbara asked, once she stepped down into the cave. Dick nodded, putting his mask on.

"Yeah. I think it's time we went back."

She smiled up at him, pressing her fingers against his mask. He smiled down at her.

"Whenever you're ready to go," she whispered, and he nodded, walking over to the bikes. They started them up and drove off to the zeta tube, parking their bikes in the garage. Once they were secure, she turned back to him.

"It's so different, coming here without Jason."

"I know," he replied quietly, dropping his head. "He loved doing the missions."

She fell silent, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close to him. She then turned and gave him a hug.

"We're doing this for him."

"Yes," he replied, breaking away from her. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding her head. She then stepped into the booth and vanished to the cave, Nightwing following right behind her.

"Nightwing? Batgirl?" M'gann asked, running up to them. They smiled at her.

"Hi, M'gann."

"We're back."

She gave them a hug, smiling at them once she pulled away. "We've missed you both."

"We're back now," Nightwing said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "What have we missed?"

"I'll catch you up," she said softly. "How are you both doing?"

"We're doing better," Barbara said, looking up at her. "We miss Robin a lot."

"So do we." There was a minute of awkward silence before she looked back towards the living room. "Come with me. I'll catch you up."

They followed her to the living room, listening as she caught them up to what's been happening the last few months. Once she finished, they looked at each other.

"I didn't realize we've missed so much," Barbara whispered, looking down.

"You needed time to grieve. Everyone here has understood."

"We're back now," Nightwing said with confidence. "We're helping out."

"Welcome back," she said, watching as the rest of the team showed up.

"Nightwing! Barbara!" Zatanna said, giving them both a hug. "You're back!"

"We're back," Nightwing said, placing his hands on her arms. "I hear we've missed a lot."

"Nothing we couldn't manage," Connor said, shaking Nightwing's hand. "Welcome back."

"Couldn't come back on a better day. Batman has a mission for us."

"I thought he was out rather early today," Nightwing pondered, placing his hand on his chin. Barbara cranked her head at him.

"You never tell me anything."

He stuck his tongue out at her, and she glared at him while everyone else laughed. Batman walked into the room and gathered everyone around.

"Welcome back," he said, nodding to his two protégés. They nodded back. "I have a mission for all of you."

He turned around and pulled up the screen, watching as the information from the batcomputer came in. Batgirl looked at it, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm sending you all on a mission. The batcomputer detected unusual activity near Detroit. I want you to investigate and report back to me. Nightwing, I'll send you the coordinates."

He nodded before Batman began to speak again. "Aqualad, you're in charge. I'll leave the assignment to you."

"Thank you, sir," he replied, bowing his head. Batman bowed his own before he turned and walked away. Aqualad gathered everyone into a huddle.

"We're unsure of what we're investigating, so stealth is an absolute must. We'll break off into teams once we get there." Everyone nodded. "We'll leave in five minutes."

Everyone broke up, and Kid Flash turned to Nightwing, grinning at him.

"Are you two a little rusty?" he asked them. They glared.

"Back and better than ever," Nightwing said, cracking his fingers.

"Welcome back," Kaldur said, shaking their hands. "We should get moving."

They nodded, and followed him to the bioship. Once M'gann got it going, they started to fly off.

"It's good to have you both back," Zatanna said, turning to Batgirl and Nightwing.

"It's good to be back," he said, and she nodded in agreement.

"Ready for this, Barb?"

"Yeah," she said softly, turning to look at him.

"We're doing this for Robin."

She nodded pressing her hand to her chest. He gently squeezed her shoulder before he turned back around in his chair, staring at the sky ahead of him.

Once the bioship landed, they all stepped out, taking a look around. Nightwing pulled up his gauntlet.

"Not far from here. We can continue on foot."

Aqualad nodded in agreement. "Let's get moving."

Batgirl walked next to Artemis, slowly trailing behind the others. Everyone was remaining silent.

"Once we get there, we need absolute stealth. Batman is not sure of what is going on here, and we need to figure it out."

They all nodded, and began to walk towards the coordinates. Once they were there, they hid in the shadows, looking at the building not far from them.

That's when they were nearly blown backwards, and Kid Flash immediately knew.

"Eobard?" he whispered, furrowing his brow. "Not him again."

"What is he doing here?"

"Clearly, they need someone with speed," he replied.

"It's a good thing we have someone who is as well, just in case."

"I'm not nearly as fast as him. Flash has a hard time keeping up with him."

"Nightwing, any chance you can-" Aqualad looked over at him. "Never mind."

"Huh. He even got past me," Batgirl replied, looking around.

"That damn ninja thing," Kid Flash said, shaking his head.

"If I know Nightwing, and I do, he went to go put a bug so we can listen in," Batgirl said, looking around.

"Good," Aqualad said, and they waited for Nightwing to return.

"There's Nitwing," Batgirl said, once he returned. He gave her a look.

"I've got a bug in place. We should be able to listen in."

"Aren't you the clever one today."

"Man, she's taking shots at you," Kid Flash said, grinning at Nightwing.

"Shut up," he replied, rolling his eyes.

He activated the bug, and they began to listen in to the conversation.

" _You know that's not what he wants."_

" _I don't care," Eobard replied. "I'm just here for the fun."_

" _Of course you are," the unknown man replied. "Did you get what we needed?"_

" _Here," he said. "No one saw a thing."_

" _That is what we've asked you for. Boss will be very pleased."_

"What is it?" Aqualad asked, and Nightwing shook his head.

"I have no idea. All the windows were blocked. I couldn't see a thing."

"Last thing we need is for Thawne to have something very dangerous."

"He's working for someone, but who?" Batgirl questioned.

"M'gann, we need you to get in there," Aqualad said, watching as she pulled her hood up and disappeared. They remained quiet as they continued to listen to the bug.

" _Don't ruin this, Professor Zoom."_

" _Oh, I won't," he replied starkly, as though he were annoyed._

"What are they planning?" Aqualad questioned. "Come on, say something."

"It's almost like they know they're being listened to."

"Or, they're being vague just in case someone is listening in," Nightwing said, furrowing his brow in thought.

"Nightwing, something doesn't feel right," Batgirl said, worry in her voice. He turned to look at her.

"I'm sure everything's ok," Kid Flash said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Nightwing shook his head.

"No, she has the best instincts. If she feels like something's wrong, then something is wrong."

"I hear something," Superboy said, picking his head up. "Someone's closing in on us."

"Move!" Aqualad whispered, and they quickly got up and moved out of the way, hiding behind the trees out-of-view.

"I swear I heard voices," the man said.

"You're always hearing things."

"No, I'm not!" he replied, glaring at the other man.

"My, my, what curious children," a voice slithered behind them, causing all of them to turn around.

"Cheetah!" Artemis said, prepping her bow.

"Boss, we have company."

" _Evacuate. I'll have Thawne assist."_

"The baby Flash," Thawne said, running up next to her.

"Thawne," Kid Flash said, getting into stance.

"You remember me. I know it has been a while."

More men began to gather around them, and everyone nodded to each other before they started to fight with each other, not noticing a helicopter being loaded up.

"Get away from my friends!" Superboy called, taking down a few of the guards.

"The tiny Justice League," Cheetah joked, a grin spreading across her face. "How pathetic."

"I'll show you pathetic," Artemis said, before Cheetah was thrown out the way. M'gann appeared.

"Back to back?" Nightwing asked Batgirl, who grinned in response before getting into stance.

"You always seem to know what I need."

The helicopter flew off, and Nightwing attempted to get a tracker on it before being hit in the arm. Glaring at the man, he grabbed for his batarangs and threw them at him, getting the gun out of his hands.

"You ok?" Batgirl asked him, worry clearly in her voice.

"Just fine, BG, just fine," he replied, kicking another man in the stomach.

"Kid!" Artemis cried in worry, when he was thrown into a tree.

"You're slow," Eobard taunted, running circles around Kid Flash. He groaned as he struggled to get up.

"I've gotten faster," Kid replied, his breathing staggering. Artemis tried to shoot her arrows off, watching as Thawne dodged each one of them.

"Please, kid," he said, before taking down Artemis. Kid Flash immediately got up.

"Leave her alone!" he cried, before running after him.

"Artemis!" M'gann whispered, rushing over to her. She groaned out in pain.

"You hurt her!" Kid cried out, fighting with Professor Zoom.

Miss. Martian and Batgirl began to fight off Cheetah, while Nightwing continued to take down the rest of the men.

"Take that!" Kid Flash said, having a hard time breathing once Thawne was taken down.

"Do we have a metahuman collar?" Nightwing breathed out, trying to catch his breath.

"There's one on the ship."

"I'll get it," Superboy said, quickly rushing off. They both turned away from Thawne to the girls.

"How is she?" Kid Flash asked, bending down next to Artemis.

"I'm ok, Speedy," she replied with a grin, watching as he smirked at her.

"We'll talk about that later."

He carefully helped her up, watching as Batgirl wrapped Artemis' arm around her shoulder to balance her.

"M'gann, what did they take?" Aqualad asked her, turning around to face her.

"Some kind of machine. I couldn't recognize what it was."

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out," Nightwing said, and Batgirl couldn't help but notice the determination in his eyes.

* * *

"Uhh," Barbara moaned, once the sunlight hit her eyes. Pulling the pillow over her head, she kept it over her until she was fully awake. Once she was, she put the pillow back into its place and sat up, stretching her arms over her head as she did so.

It was her seventeenth birthday.

Getting off of her bed, she opened her bedroom door and got ready for the day, a familiar smell hitting her nose once she stepped into the shower. Taking a quick one, she got out and dried her hair with her towel before she stepped out of the bathroom, the smell getting even stronger.

"There she is!" Jim said, once she stepped into the living room. "Happy birthday, pumpkin!"

"Happy birthday," Emily said, turning from the stove to give her a hug.

"Thank you both," she said, her eyes drifting to the stove. "Blueberry pancakes?"

"As per every birthday," Emily said, turning back towards it. "Nothing but the best for you."

"You didn't have to."

"I did," she replied, pulling out a seat at the table.

"How does it feel to be seventeen?" Jim asked his daughter, sitting across from her.

"It feels pretty good, actually," she replied, taking a drink of her juice. Emily sat her plate down before serving Jim and herself.

"Thank you for breakfast," Barbara said, taking a bite of her pancakes.

"You are very welcome," Emily replied, gently squeezing her shoulder.

"What do you have planned today, pumpkin?"

"Nothing," she replied, watching as they both looked at her.

"You don't have any plans for today?"

"Is there another surprise birthday party I should be aware of?"

"Just the dinner at the manor tonight. You already know that."

"I don't have any plans. Not until the dinner tonight."

* * *

"Artemis! What are you doing here?" Barbara asked in surprise, once her door was open.

"Today is your birthday! Since I'll be leaving town next week, I wanted to take you out for a girl's day. We could get our nails done, get some lunch."

"That sounds like fun!" she replied enthusiastically, grabbing for her purse. "You didn't have to this, though."

"It's your seventeenth birthday. Of course I'm going to take you out."

Barbara closed her door and locked it behind her, following Artemis down to her car. Once they arrived at the restaurant and ordered, Barbara turned to Artemis.

"How's the packing going?"

"It's coming along. I really can't wait until we're in the apartment."

"I'm happy for you," Barbara said, throwing her a smile. "You and Wally deserve this so much."

"I'm just worried about you and Dick. Ever since Jason…"

She trailed off, and Barbara dropped her head. After a minute of awkward silence, Artemis spoke again.

"We're just worried you two aren't doing well."

"I miss him so much, Artemis," she whispered, her head still dropped.

"I know," she said, rubbing her arm. "It's your birthday. Let's go enjoy it, ok?"

Barbara nodded, playing with the straw of her cup. When their lunch arrived they ate it before they drove off to the nail salon.

"Thanks for this, Artemis," Barbara said, once they stepped inside.

"It's your birthday. We are going to enjoy this day," she replied, throwing her a smile.

"Let's go with red," Barbara said a few minutes later, watching as the woman picked up the red nail polish and put it next to her.

"You and Dick have been close lately," Artemis said, watching as her friend turned her head towards her.

"Not this again."

"Just pointing off an observation."

"We've been through a lot, Artemis."

"I know," she said, looking away.

"Dick and I have stuck together since Jay's death. It's been so hard since he died."

"His eyes light up when he's around you," Artemis said, and Barbara's head snapped back towards her. "He just seems…happier."

Barbara shook her head, turning to look forward at the wall. "I can't."

"Can't what? Tell him that you've liked him for however long now? How do you know he doesn't like you back?"

"He doesn't."

"You're stubborn," she replied, shaking her head. "When Wally and I first met, we didn't get along at all. We argued all the time, questioned each other, had no faith in each other. Now, this time next week, we'll be living in Palo Alto getting ready to go to college. We took that leap of faith, and I'm so glad we did. It's time for you to take yours, or you'll spend time regretting it."

Silence fell between them. Barbara let out a soft sigh as her mind went into overdrive.

"You really think I should ask him?"

"I think you should," she told her. "You two are already so close."

* * *

"Happy birthday, Barbara," Jim said, raising his glass to her.

"Thank you, dad," she replied with a smile, raising her own glass.

"Happy birthday, Miss. Barbara," Alfred said, clinking her glass to his.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"This time next year, you'll be eighteen and just months away from graduating high," Emily said, wrapping her arm around Barbara's shoulder.

"You're growing way too fast," Jim said, watching as his daughter smirked at him.

"I'll always be your daughter, dad."

"I know," he replied, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze.

"To, Barbara, happy birthday," Bruce said, raising his own glass to her. Everyone followed suit.

"Thanks, everyone," she replied, before taking a sip of her drink. "It's been a lovely day."

"As it should be, Miss. Gordon," Alfred said, throwing her a smile. "It's not every day you turn seventeen."

She smiled up at him, watching as he returned to his seat. When Jim brought the cake out, he lit the candles and dimmed the lights. She waited until everyone was finished singing before she blew out the candles.

"I'll cut the cake," Emily said, going to the kitchen. She returned a moment later and cut the cake, giving a piece to everyone in the room.

"You're getting old, Babs," Dick said, throwing her a grin. She rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, Dick."

"Happy birthday, Barbara," Tim said, giving her an envelope. She opened it.

"Tim," she said, pulling the gift card out. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said, before he took a bite of his cake.

"I wanted to give you this," Dick said, once her father was out of view. She took the box from him. "You mean a lot to me, Babs, and after we lost Jay, I want to make sure that you know how much you mean to me. Happy birthday."

She threw him a small smile before she took off the wrapping paper and opened the box, her mouth falling open as she pulled it out.

"Dick," she sighed, pulling the digital frame out.

"You gave me a picture of us for my birthday two years ago. I wanted to do the same for you. I've taken all of our best times together and made a digital collage out you. It's us, Wally and Artemis, Jason, Tim. I've picked a lot of good memories. Happy birthday, Barb."

She started at it for a minute before she carefully put it down and wrapped her arms around him. He smiled as his wrapped around her back.

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he replied, pulling away from her.

" _Tell him,"_ Artemis' voice rang through her head. She bit her lip as she looked up at him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked in concern.

"No," she answered, smiling up at him. "I just really love my present."

"Good," he smiled back at her. "Happy birthday, Babs."

"Thank you, Dick," she said, kissing his cheek.

* * *

"Were you waiting on me?" Dick asked, hopping off of his bike. She shrugged.

"It's so beautiful out today."

"Yeah, it is," he said, putting his bike into the garage. He then walked up to her. "Are you doing ok?"

She nodded, looking at the brick wall in front of her. "How's Tim?"

"Doing good, actually. Bruce has been working with him. I think he'll make a great Robin when the time comes."

She dropped her head, and he gently put his finger under her chin and pulled it back up. He then threw her a smile.

"Are you doing ok?"

"Yeah," she said softly, grabbing hold of his hand. "It doesn't get any easier."

"I know," he replied quietly, running his thumb across her hand. "We should probably get going. Don't want to be late."

She nodded in agreement, before she turned to the zeta tube and disappeared to the cave. He followed behind her.

"Welcome!" M'gann said, once they stepped into the living room.

"Do you need any help?" Barbara asked, and M'gann shook her head.

"We're just waiting on the guests of honor to show up," she replied, putting the cups out.

"I'm going to go talk to Zatanna," Barbara said, watching as Nightwing nodded.

"Hi, Barbara!" she said cheerfully, putting her glass down when she walked up to her.

"You're awfully happy."

"Oh, it's a celebration. Wally and Artemis are retiring."

"It is wonderful that they're moving on with their lives."

Zatanna looked at her for a minute before her face fell. "You're sad."

"It's just a lot has happened and it's a lot to take in."

"I'm glad you and Nightwing are back, but I can't imagine what you've been going through these last few months."

Barbara didn't reply, but she dropped her head and tucked a piece of her hair back behind her ear. Zatanna placed her hand on her shoulder.

"We won't forget Robin."

"None of us will," Barbara whispered back, looking up at her.

The zeta tube went off, and Wally and Artemis stepped through. After a minute, they both arrived in the living room.

"Congratulations!" everyone cheered out, the moment they stepped into the room.

"M'gann, you really went all out," Artemis said, giving the girl a hug as she looked around.

"Two of our teammates are leaving us. We're giving them a party of the lifetime." They smiled. "Go on, enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you," they echoed, before breaking away from them.

"Here, Barb," Nightwing said, giving her a cup of punch.

"Thanks," she said, taking a sip from it. "This is a really lovely party."

"Yeah, it is," he replied, looking around. He then pulled up a seat and sat down next to her.

"It's going to be so different without them here," she said quietly, and he nodded in agreement.

"I know."

She put her cup down and looked over at him, finding it hard to figure out what he was thinking with the dark shades covering his eyes. She then reached over and grabbed for his hand.

"We'll be ok."

"Always are with you," he replied with a grin, and she threw him a smile back.

The party continued on for the next hour before M'gann tapped her glass and lowered the music. When everyone turned to her, she started to talk.

"Ok, I'd like to make a toast," she said, raising her glass. "When we first started this team, Wally, Nightwing, Kaldur and Superboy welcomed me to the team with such kindness. Then Artemis joined us, and things were tense at first, but she became my best friend, and a great teammate. Now, we have to say goodbye to two of our best friends, two of our teammates, and two of the greatest people I have ever met. May the both of you live a happy life as you move to Palo Alto. To Wally and Artemis, and the future they are building for themselves."

"To Wally and Artemis!" everyone chanted, raising their glasses.

"Thanks, everyone," Artemis said, smiling. "It's been fun, and we'll miss all of you."

"I guess it's my turn," Nightwing said, and everyone turned to him. "Wally, you and I met when Flash and Batman introduced us all those years ago. You, Kaldur, Roy and I all trained together with the Justice League. We all got the chance to see the Hall of Justice for the first time, and that's when we discovered they were still hiding secrets from us. When Cadmus was on fire, the three of us decided to disobey our mentors and go investigate. We started the team that night. M'gann joined us, and Artemis joined us. While the two of you drove us crazy at first, we all learned to trust each other. You're two of my best friends, and I wish you nothing but happiness as you move. Congratulations."

"Thanks, man," Wally said.

Everyone in the room stood up to give their speech. Artemis was having trouble holding on as each person read through their speech. Wally gently rubbed her back.

"Those were such wonderful words. Thank you," Artemis said, laying her head on Wally's shoulder.

"We also bought you some housewarming presents," M'gann said, moving to show them the presents table.

"You didn't have to."

"Well, we did," she replied. "Go ahead and open them."

Wally and Artemis moved to open their presents. Once they were all open, Artemis turned to Wally, her eyes watering.

"These are all so lovely. Thank you."

"You're welcome," everyone echoed.

"Hey," Nightwing said, sitting next to Barbara. She smiled at him.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, watching as Wally and Artemis began to talk with everyone.

"Barb, want to come over for dinner tonight?" he asked her softly, and she turned to look at him, nodding softly.

"Of course I will."

"Thanks," he replied softly, and she reached over and grabbed for his hand, squeezing it softly.

Best friends, through and through. They always would be.

"This is harder than I thought it'd be," Artemis said sometime later, wiping her face. "Thanks, M'gann, for the party. Thank you all for the presents. It means a lot to us that we have such wonderful friends."

"We appreciate everything you all have done for us. Thank you all, it's been fun," Wally said, gently rubbing Artemis' back. "We have to get going, but thanks for the party. It meant a lot to us."

They hugged everyone before they turned and walked out of the living room. Once they were gone, they room fell quiet.

* * *

"Hey," Barbara said, opening the door to let Dick in.

"Afternoon, Babs."

"Let me just get my purse," she said, walking over to the table. She then grabbed for her purse and met him back at the front door. "Ready to go?"

He nodded, moving aside to let her out. She closed the door behind her and locked it before putting her keys into her purse. They walked down to his car, staying silent as their thoughts began to consume them.

"Did Artemis say what time they were leaving?"

"She said around one."

He nodded, putting his key into the car to unlock it. Once unlocked, they both got in.

"Hard to believe it's that time already," she said, breaking the silence.

"They stayed for us, Barb. They stayed to help us and the team while we were out."

"And we're appreciative, but it's time for them to live their lives."

He continued to look ahead, and she gently reached over and grabbed for his hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze, thankful that she was in his life.

Once he drove up to Artemis' apartment building, he parked the car and got out. She followed right behind him, watching as he hesitated.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah," he said softly, looking over at her. "Let's go help Art."

They walked up to the apartment building and to Artemis' apartment, knocking on the door once they reached it. After a minute of waiting, it opened.

"You're here," Artemis said, opening the door.

"We wanted to see you guys off."

"Thanks for coming," she said, moving aside to let them in. "Just waiting on Wally to get here with the truck."

"I can't believe you two are moving today," Barbara said, watching as Artemis looked up.

"It's hard to believe. Wally and I are so excited."

"Is there anything you need help with?" Dick asked her.

"I think I've just about gotten everything. I'll just need help getting the boxes down once Wally gets here."

"We'll help you," Barbara said, watching as Dick nodded in agreement.

"Are you getting nervous?" Dick asked her, watching as she shrugged and sat down on the couch.

"A little, but I'm very excited. Wally and I really love this apartment. I can't wait to start decorating it."

"You're going to make your poor mother cry," Paula said, rolling into the living room. Artemis shook her head.

"Mom," she sighed.

"Looks like Wally's here," Paula said, looking out the window.

"Do you mind helping with the boxes?" she asked them, who nodded before picking up a box each. They walked out of the apartment and down to the truck.

"Here's your suitcases," Wally said, returning from the apartment with a suitcase in each hand.

"Thanks," she said, putting them into the back of the truck. "Just about done."

They walked back upstairs and grabbed the last of the boxes and suitcases. Once everything was collected, they returned to the truck.

"That's it," Artemis said, putting the last box into the truck. "That's all of my things."

"Artemis," Paula said, her eyes watering as she held her arms out.

"I'll miss you, too, mom," she whispered, giving her a hug.

"Good luck. Call me often. I love you."

"I will, and I love you, too," she replied, breaking away from her mother. She then turned to Dick and Barbara. "You two keep out of trouble."

"I'm insulted here," Dick replied, furrowing his brow. "We always keep out of trouble."

Artemis laughed, giving each of them a hug. "I'll miss you both."

"We'll miss you, too," Barbara said, lingering from the hug.

"Ready, babe?" Wally asked, walking up to them. She nodded.

"Take care of my daughter," Paula said, giving him a hug.

"You know I will."

"Don't have too much fun," Dick said, watching as Wally turned and gave him a look.

"Good luck, you two."

"Good luck, Wally," Barbara said, giving him a hug.

"You, too, red. Keep Richard here in line."

Dick rolled his eyes, and Barbara let out a small laugh. He then turned to Dick.

"Seriously, though, both of you take care. Call us if you need anything."

"We will," Dick promised him, and Wally pulled him in for a hug. "Take care."

"You, too," he replied, before turning back to Artemis. "We better get going, babe."

"Goodbye," Artemis said, waving to everyone. Wally followed suit, and they both hopped into the truck. Wally started it up, and they drove off.

"That's it then," Dick said, as the three watched the truck drive away. "They're really gone."

Barbara grabbed for his hand, laying her head on his shoulder. Paula bid them a goodbye before wheeling back into the apartment building.

"Are you ok?" Barbara asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Let's get going, Barb."

She nodded, and they got back into his car and drove off.

* * *

"Focus, Tim," Dick said, blocking every shot that the young boy threw at him.

"I'm not good at this," he breathed out, reaching for his water bottle. Dick placed his hands on Tim's arms.

"You're doing just fine. This isn't easy. Every time we're out there, we're fighting for our lives. That's why there's a lot of training."

Tim nodded, understanding Dick's words. He took a long sip from his water bottle before putting it back down, wiping his face off with his sleeve.

"I want to try again."

"Good," Dick said, watching as Tim picked up the staff. "Why don't you like using that so much? Jason and I weren't too fond of it."

Tim shrugged, twirling the stick in his hand. "I find it easier to fight with it."

"To each his own," Dick replied, putting his gloves back on. "Show me what you got."

Tim started to take shots at him again, and they spent the next half-hour training before Dick called it. As soon as they did, Bruce showed up.

"How's he doing?"

"Great," Dick said, looking over at Tim. "Off to a good start."

"Excellent," Bruce said, clapping Tim's shoulder. "I want to work with him for a little bit. Hit the shower."

"Yes, sir," Dick said, before standing up. Bruce turned back to Tim.

"Good job on your training. Dick says you're doing well."

"I'm trying," he replied quietly, looking down to avoid Bruce's gaze.

"Let's see how you're doing," he said softly, taking the gloves that Dick had put down. They fought against each, and Bruce was growing more impressed with Tim each shot. He finally stopped him. "Good."

"Yeah?" Tim asked, watching as Bruce nodded.

"With time, you'll be a lot better."

"You're saying I can be Robin?"

Bruce paused, dropping his head before picking it up once again. "Your training is going well. Continue with it, and you and I will talk."

Tim nodded, dropping his head as he did so. Bruce remained silent for a minute before he put his hand on his shoulder, reassuring the young boy.

"What you're trying to do is very dangerous. We've seen firsthand how dangerous it can be."

Tim's head turned towards the glass case, and Bruce's followed, regret showing on his face. Tim quickly caught it.

"There was nothing you could have done."

"You've done enough for today," Bruce said, standing up. "You're welcome to stay for dinner. Go ahead and wash up and relax."

Tim nodded, watching as the older man walked away. He then turned to the glass case.

"He misses you, Jay. We all do. I'm going to make you proud."

* * *

"Hi," Barbara whispered, once Dick opened the door.

"Hey," he replied, moving out of the way.

"He would have been fifteen today," she said, once Dick closed the door. He nodded his head.

"Thanks for being here."

"I loved him, too," she replied, turning to face him. "It would have been his fifteenth birthday today. I think we should all be here."

He led her to the living room and they sat down on the furniture. There was an awkward silence for several minutes.

"We would have taken him to get his permit next month," Dick said, dropping his head. "He would have made the joke that I no longer needed to drive him around, because he claimed that he hated me driving him."

"Or, how he loved Alfred's meatloaf," Bruce said, standing in the doorway. Dick and Barbara turned to look at him.

"How he loved to flirt with me," Barbara said with a small smile. "He would always call me Barbie."

"Sometimes, it doesn't feel like he's gone," Dick said quietly. "it's still hard to believe that he really is."

Bruce didn't say anything, but chose to look out the window instead. Barbara kept her head bowed.

"He loved a lot of things, and he had a good heart," Bruce finally said, after a few minutes of silence.

Silence fell among them again, and Barbara moved to sit next to Dick, who immediately put his arm around her shoulder.

That's how they spent the rest of the day, remembering Jason on his birthday.

* * *

"All ready for the day, young sir?" Alfred asked, when Dick appeared in the kitchen.

"Yes I am, Alfie," he replied, sitting at the island. Alfred put his plate in front of him.

"Have a good first day, Master Dick," he said, turning back to the stove.

"I'm going to see if Tim wants a ride to school."

"I think that's a great idea. I'm sure his parents wouldn't mind."

Dick pulled his phone out and called Tim, waiting for a response before the young boy finally answered.

"Hi, Dick!"

"Hey, Tim. I have a question for you."

"I have an answer."

"I thought I'd drive you to school today, if you're interested."

"Sure!" Tim said. "Let me ask my parents."

Dick waited for a response for a minute before Tim returned to the line. "They said it's ok."

"I'll meet you over there in about fifteen minutes."

"See you then!"

Dick hung up the call, breaking into his breakfast as he did so. As soon as he was done, he finished getting ready before grabbing for his bookbag and keys.

"I'll be back this afternoon, Alfie."

"Take care, young sir."

Dick nodded before walking out into the garage. Starting up the car, he drove next door and parked the car, watching as Tim ran outside followed by his parents.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Drake."

"Please, call me Jack."

"And me Janet."

"Thanks for allowing me to take Tim to school. Just living next door, it'd be kind of silly for everyone to drive all the way out to the city."

"Tim was certainly happy," Jack said, rubbing Tim's head. "Be careful, and have a good first day, son."

"Love you, sweetheart," Janet said, giving Tim a hug.

"You're a good friend, Dick. If Tim's ok with it, we're ok with it."

"Thanks, dad!" Tim said, smiling.

"Go on, before you're both late."

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Drake," Dick said, shaking their hands.

"Thank you. Tim really loves hanging out with you."

"Dad!" Tim said, and Dick smiled.

"Your son's a good kid."

They walked out to Dick's car, got in and drove off. Once they were away from Tim's house, he started to speak to him.

"Your parents are really nice."

"Yeah," Tim replied, looking out the window. "They have no idea about any idea of this."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do? This is a very risky move, Tim."

He nodded, turning his head to Dick. "I want to do this."

"Then we'll help you," he said softly, watching as the young boy looked up at him. "You're not alone in this."

"Thanks," he said, looking into his bookbag. "Jason would have been a freshmen this year, wouldn't he?"

"Yeah," Dick replied, looking forward. "I should have been with him."

"There's nothing you could have done, Dick."

He didn't reply, and Tim looked out the window again, wondering what he might say. Dick finally spoke a few minutes later.

"Are your classes bad this year?"

"Not really," Tim replied, turning to look at him. "It shouldn't be too bad."

"Good," he said, once they hit city limits. The car started ringing, and Dick looked at the radio, smirking when the name came up. "Morning, Babs."

"Morning, Dick. Is Tim with you?"

"Here, Barb," Tim said.

"I'm going to stop by Starbucks for a drink. Do you two want anything?"

"You know my usual," Dick said.

"Tim?"

"Strawberry smoothie," he replied.

"Ok. See you boys at school."

"We'll be there soon," Dick said, before they both bid her goodbye. He continued to drive until they reached Gotham Academy.

"Thanks for the ride," Tim said, pulling his backpack out of the backseat.

"Anytime, Tim," Dick said, grabbing for his own bookbag. "Good luck today."

"Thanks, Dick. You, too," he said, once they stepped into the building. They met Barbara in the entrance hall.

"Hi, Barbara!" Tim said, running up to her.

"Hi, Tim. Ready for your first day?"

"Yeah."

"What about you, sleepy head?" she asked softly, looking over at Dick. He smirked at her.

"Who are you calling sleepy head?"

"Are you two flirting again?" Tim asked, looking up at them.

"We do not flirt."

"If you say so," he sang, turning away from them. "I better get going. Will I see you at lunch?"

"Will do," Dick said, before the younger boy turned away. Barbara smiled.

"He's a good kid."

"Yeah, he is," he replied, turning to her. "Junior year, Babs."

"Let me see your schedule," she said, and he handed it to her. "We have English together."

"Hm," he replied, looking down at it. "I guess I can put up with you more than I already do."

She glared at him, and he smirked in response. She then rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Dick. We need to get to homeroom. They'll be talking to us soon."

He followed behind her to their lockers before they both went to homeroom. Looking over at her, he noticed that she was tapping her fingers against the desk, reading from the book she had brought from home.

"Welcome to your first day of school," the teacher said, standing up from his desk. "Shortly, you will be summoned to the theater so you can hear from your counselor, Mrs. Ross. As juniors, you're going to be expected to start thinking about your life after you complete Gotham Academy, and that's what they will be talking with you about today. Until they call you, keep yourselves busy. It shouldn't be much longer."

He sat back down at his desk, and Dick pulled his tablet out and looked through it. When they were finally called, he stood up with Barbara and walked to the theater, sitting down next to each other. Once everyone was seated, the principal spoke.

"Welcome back to another year of Gotham Academy."

"Boring," Dick whispered, watching as Barbara turned and looked over at him.

"Is this an every year thing with you?"

"Hey, just one more year, Babs."

"One more year of putting up with you? That sounds swell," she replied, and he narrowed his eyes as he looked at her.

"You enjoy my company."

"I put up with you for Bruce's sake."

"Sure," he replied, nodding his head.

"Welcome to your junior year!" the counselor said, walking up to the podium. "I am Mrs. Ross, and I will be your counselor for the remainder of your high school career."

She paused for a minute before looking around. "Junior year is very important. This is the time to start thinking about life after high school. Whether you want to go to college, or whether you want to start working is completely up to you, but now is the time to start thinking about it. This year, you will be encouraged to take your S.A.T.s, start thinking about which college you will want to go to, and see me for me help and guidance. That is what I'm here for. I wish you all the best of luck, and have a great year."

Dick began to drown out as they continued to talk to them, his mind going to into overdrive by what he had just heard. Barbara looked over at him in worry, but remained silent as she listened to the administrators. Once they were dismissed, she turned to Dick.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, cranking her head to the side. He shrugged.

"I don't know if I want to go to college or not."

"I think you should," she said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder, "but, it's completely up to you. You know Bruce, Alfred and I will support every decision you make."

He smiled softly at her. "Thanks, Babs. What about you? Still thinking about G.U.?"

"Yeah," she replied, cranking her head at him. "I'm thinking about computer studies."

"You'd be good at that. You stumped Bruce with your computer skills."

She laughed slightly. "I really like it. I can't explain it."

* * *

"Is there more training tonight?" Tim asked, once he stepped out of Dick's car.

"For a little while. Barbara and I will both work with you."

"Cool," he replied, following Dick and Barbara into the house. Once they were changed, they walked down to the cave and to the training area.

"Here's your staff," Dick said, giving it to Tim. "Ready to start?"

"More than ready," he replied, and Dick waited a moment before he started to attack him. Barbara watched from the side as they battled each other. When Tim and Dick took a break, she switched out with Dick.

"No offense, Dick, but I think Barbara's harder to fight."

"Really, now?" she asked, smirking at Dick. He glared at her.

"Why's that, Tim?"

"I don't know. It just seems like she moves faster."

"Don't say it," he told Barbara, who continued to smirk at him.

"I always knew this day would come."

Dick rolled his eyes, throwing a batarang at Tim, who immediately jumped out of the way. Barbara continued to attack him.

"You're doing great, Tim," she told him, once they all took a break. "Far better than Jason and I did at this rate."

"I don't think Bruce thinks that," he replied.

"Bruce is very hard to gain trust with. It's especially hard for you, because of what happened with Jason. He knows you're doing great."

"You are, Tim," she reassured him. "Trust me, I had to fight my way onto the team, too. It wasn't easy."

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up at her. She nodded.

"Keep fighting. That's the motto Dick and I came up with."

He grinned up at her, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

"Thanks, Barbara."

She smiled down at him. "My friends call me Babs."

"Hey, that's my nickname!" Dick said, feigning hurt. She rolled her eyes.

"Tough."

"Whenever you're ready, Tim," he said, getting back into stance. Tim nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Really, you should all be resting," Alfred said, bringing a tray down. "I brought you a snack."

"Thanks, Alfred," Dick said, grabbing an apple slice.

"Dinner is in one hour. Timothy, would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Sure," he replied. "Thank you, Alfred."

"You are quite welcome young sir," he replied, before turning back up the stairs.

"You're growing on Alfred," Dick said, grinning at him.

"He's growing on all of us," Barbara said, winking at Tim.

"Thanks, Barbara," Tim said, blushing slightly.

They continued training until Alfred called them for dinner. Taking quick showers, they met with Bruce and Alfred at the table, both of whom were waiting for them.

"Thanks for dinner, Bruce," Barbara said, sitting down next to Dick.

"You're always welcome here," he replied. "Same to you, Tim."

"Thank you," he said quietly, before he began to eat his dinner.

"Would anyone like dessert?" Alfred asked, once everyone had finished eating.

"No, thank you," they echoed, and Alfred nodded before turning back into the kitchen.

"Get changed," Bruce told Dick and Barbara, who nodded in agreement. "Go ahead and head out. I'll meet up with you."

They nodded before they disappeared. Bruce turned to Tim, who was reading through Dick's instructions.

"Thanks for dinner," Tim told him, looking up.

"Dick and Barbara said your training is going extremely well."

"I'd like to know what you think."

Bruce stared at him before letting out a soft sigh. "I think you're doing really well."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, you and I will work together. I'll be training you, and working with Dick and Barbara as well to see where they're at."

Tim nodded. "Thanks, Bruce."

"You're going to be with Alfred behind the computer while we head into the field. I want you to understand how the computer works, and assist Alfred if needed."

"Sounds good," Tim said, and Bruce looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"No. Talk to us through the comms if you need anything."

"Yes, sir," he said, pulling up a seat next to Alfred. Bruce started at them for a moment longer before he pulled his cowl up and got into the Batmobile, driving out of the cave as he did so.

Tim was far different than Dick, Barbara and Jason, and that may be just what he needs.


	23. Knowing

"You really didn't want a party this year?" Barbara asked him.

"Nah. I just wanted to spend time with my friends," Dick replied, swinging their hands back and forth as they walked around the pond. "Just a nice dinner here at the manor."

"If that's what you want," she replied, softly squeezing his hand. "Will Wally and Artemis be there?"

"No."

"I miss them," she said, looking out over the pond. "I miss being able to talk to her every day."

He didn't reply, but he took them to sit down at the bench. They were both silent for a few minutes.

"This time next year, we'll both be eighteen," she said, staring out over the pond. "That's so hard to believe."

"I know," he replied, gently squeezing her hand.

Tim walked up to them, and they immediately broke their hands apart when he approached.

"Hi, Tim," Barbara said, moving aside so he could sit next to her.

"Bruce wants you both to change and meet him immediately."

"Do you know why?"

"I don't, actually. You might want to hurry."

They quickly stood up and walked down to the cave, spotting Alfred sitting at the computer. Grabbing hold of their suits, they quickly changed and drove out on their bikes to Bristol, the coordinates that Bruce has sent to them.

"You're late," Batman said, once Nightwing and Batgirl walked up to him.

"How are we late when you didn't tell us to be here?" Batgirl asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"You have to know," Nightwing replied, smirking slightly. "You have to use those marvelous detective skills of yours to figure it out."

She put her hand up to her mouth, hiding a laugh. Batman didn't reply, but chose to continue to look at the crime scene.

"What's up, Batman?"

"A crime was committed here last night. GCPD has no leads."

"So, now, it's up to us," Nightwing said, bending down next to him. "What have you found?"

"Not much," he replied, standing back up. "The cameras were removed with no person or evidence on them before so."

"Someone covered their tracks well," Batgirl said, moving next to them.

"Too well, in fact," Nightwing observed.

"I have a theory," Batman said. "I'm sending Robin the information in the cave. Hopefully he can help."

" _Getting it now,"_ Tim said though the comms.

They waited in silence as Tim looked through the information that was sent through. When he finally responded, his voice was laced with confusion.

"There's nothing here. I've looked through it all several times."

"Slow down the feed, Robin."

"Wait, there's something there," he finally said. "Slowing down the feed, there's a flash of something …orange?"

"Orange?"

"That's all there was before the feed went down."

"Deathstroke," Batman said, his voice dark. "Deathstroke's back in Gotham."

"How long has it been?" Dick asked, his face contorted in thought.

"A long time," he replied, turning his head to face him. "Slade is good about covering up his tracks," Batman said, turning to look at her. "He won't be found unless he wants to be. That's why we have to be better."

* * *

"What if Slade's done in Gotham now?" Nightwing asked Batman, once they were staked out. "What if he left?"

"It's hard telling, but I get the feeling he has unfinished business here," Batman replied, turning his head towards his protégé. "If he was responsible for last night, we need to get him and bring him in."

"That's the problem," he said, watching as Batgirl looked over at him. "How are we going to find him?"

"He'll slip up eventually. He already made the mistake of being caught on camera. We need to be ready for when he does."

Nightwing and Batgirl sat on the ledge of the building, dangling their legs across it as they did so. They all sat in awkward silence for several minutes.

"Where do we start looking, Batman?"

"We're going to split up," he replied. "I want you both together near Kingston. I'm going to stay in Bristol. I'll have Robin keeping an eye on things from the cave."

"Will do," Tim's voice said through the comms unit.

"Let's move," he said, and Nightwing and Batgirl grappled down from the building back to their bikes. Driving to Kingston, they grappled up to a building and waited, staring up at the clear sky.

"I love watching the stars," she said, head tilted up. He nodded in agreement.

"Reminds me of when we went camping a few years ago."

"That's right," she replied, a smile forming on her face. "We made smores and watched the stars."

"And Jason got mad because he says I was snoring."

She huffed. "You were snoring."

"Was not."

She smiled sadly. "I miss him."

"I miss him, too," he said, dropping his head.

"Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, we've got a hit," Tim's voice said through the comms unit. "Deathstroke's moving towards your location in Kingston."

"I'm on my way," Batman said, and Nightwing and Batgirl immediately stood up, grappling up to a taller building to avoid being seen. They waited for a few minutes before Deathstoke jumped to their building, stalling as he looked around.

"I know you're here, kid. Might as well stop hiding and come out." Nightwing and Batgirl looked at each other, wondering who Deathstroke was referring to. "Come on out, Nightwing."

"Stay here," Nightwing whispered, and Batgirl shook her head.

"No way."

"Come out, kid."

"Right here, Deathstoke," Nightwing said, standing up. Deathstoke turned to face him.

"Last time I saw you, you were still Robin, correct?"

"What are you doing back in Gotham?"

"Slade," Batman said, once he grappled up to the top of the building.

"It's been a long time, Batman."

"We're bringing you in, Slade."

"I'd love to see you try," he replied, before Batman began to attack him. Nightwing and Batgirl joined in, doing whatever they could to try to take Deathstoke down.

"End this, Slade."

"I'm not finished yet, Batman," he replied, jumping out of the way to avoid a shot from him. He managed to knock Batgirl out of the way and avoid a shot from Batman before Nightwing engaged him.

"You're not getting away."

"Come at me, kid," he said, raising his head to look at the young man. Nightwing glared at him before running to take a shot, narrowly missing a blow from Deathstroke's fist. Landing back on his feet, he took out his escrima sticks and started to fight him off, sweat pouring off of him as he struggled to hold his own against Deathstroke.

"Nightwing!"

* * *

"Hello, Nightwing."

"Slade," he replied, turning around.

"It's been a long time, kid," he said, walking towards him. Nightwing pulled his escrima sticks out.

"What are you doing back in Gotham?"

"I wouldn't worry too much about what I'm doing here, as much as I would about your little _friend."_ Nightwing furrowed his brow as he wondered who Deathstoke was talking about. "She's not looking too well."

Heart pounding in his chest, he watched as Deathstoke moved aside, revealing Batgirl laying on the floor. His breath got caught in his throat.

"Choose me, or her," Deathstoke said, pulling out a grapnel gun. Nightwing waited until he disappeared.

"Batgirl?!" he cried, running over to her. "Batgirl!"

He pushed back the end of her cowl and checked for a pulse, heart pounding in his chest when he couldn't find one. Unzipping her suit, he immediately started C.P.R.

"C'mon," he whispered, when she wasn't responding. "C'mon, Babs."

Tears watering in his eyes, he continued to perform C.P.R, finding it harder to focus with each passing second.

"Ah!" she cried, and he immediately buried his head into her hair, shaking. "Nightwing?"

"Babs," he whispered, holding her tight. She pulled away.

"I'm ok," she said, putting her hand on his cheek. He grabbed hold of it with his own hand. "I'm ok, Dick."

He looked into her eyes, unable to look away as she stared up at him. He then leaned down and pressed their lips together, lightly but enough. He pulled away, but he lingered for a second.

"I'm ok," she whispered again, and he gently pressed a kiss to her head. "I'm right here."

"I can't lose you."

"You'll never lose me," she whispered, and he kissed her head again, his heart pounding in his chest.

He couldn't lose her. He could never lose her. She meant way too much to him.

Darkness immediately consumed him, and he opened his eyes, spotting himself in his bedroom. Blinking to adjust to the light, he looked over, spotting Bruce reading from his tablet. Once he noticed that he was awake, he put it aside.

"You ok?" Bruce said, helping Dick sit up in his bed. He looked around his room.

"Where's Barbara and Tim?"

"I sent them home. They both refused, of course, but I told them you'd be ok. Are you ok?"

"Just fine," he replied quietly, his heart pounding in his chest as he thought of the dream. "What happened?"

"You took a pretty hard hit to the head. Barbara caught you."

"Oh," he replied quietly, looking down.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. I just have a headache."

"Try to get some more sleep," Bruce said, standing up. "It might make you feel better."

"I'll try," he replied, and Bruce gently clapped his shoulder before walking out of his bedroom. He then reached over and grabbed for his phone, watching as it blinked back at him. Unlocking it, he spotted a text from Barbara.

" _I hope you get to feeling better. Call me in the morning. Babs."_

Smiling softly, he hooked his phone up to his charger before going back to sleep, the dream still stuck in his mind.

He wanted nothing more than to see her, and that made him extremely nervous.

* * *

There was a knock on his door when he woke up again mid-afternoon. Blinking to adjust to the light, he waited for a minute before calling the person in.

"Good afternoon," Barbara said, throwing him a smile. He grinned up at her.

"Hey there, stranger."

"How do you feel?" she asked, sitting down next to him.

"I'm fine. I slept all night."

"Good," she replied, reaching down to push the hair out of his face. The second her fingers touched his skin, he shivered. "Are you ok?"

"J-Just fine," he replied, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Well, get out of bed. Alfred made all of us lunch," she said, standing back up. He stared at her as she walked away, his mind running. "Don't be late, Grayson."

She walked out of his room, closing the door behind her. He laid frozen in his bed, completely confused by what had just happened. Shaking his head, he pushed his covers to the side, got up and got dressed, his mind in a frenzy.

Walking out of his bedroom, he met with Tim, Barbara and Alfred in the kitchen. Alfred immediately turned to him.

"How are you feeling, young sir?"

"I'm fine, Alfred," he replied, reassuring the older man. He then sat down next to Tim. "Hey there."

"Hi, Dick!" he replied, looking over at him. "Glad to see you're feeling better."

"I'm fine," he replied, looking down at his breakfast. Barbara cranked her head at him.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, Babs, really," he said softly, something that didn't go unnoticed by Alfred. He kept his eyes down from the older man.

"If you're sure," she said, gently rubbing the bruise on his head. He tried to ignore the shivers that ran through his body.

He needed to talk to someone, and he knew just who to go to.

* * *

Dick stepped out of the zeta tube and started walking towards the apartment building not far from the tube. Once he reached it, he walked into the building and to the apartment number, softly knocking on the door once he reached it.

"Well, this is a surprise," Wally said, opening the door. "Come on in."

"Dick!" Artemis said, smiling as she emerged from the bedroom. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How have you been? Is your first semester going ok?"

"It's going really well."

"That's awesome," he said, sitting down when Artemis told him to. He looked around. "Your apartment is really nice."

"Thank you," she replied. "Do you want something to drink or anything?"

"I'm good, thanks," he replied, taking his jacket off. She immediately noticed something.

"Not that we're not glad that you're here, but something tells me that you didn't come all this way just to play catch-up. Why'd you come here, Dick?"

He didn't reply, and Wally and Artemis immediately looked at each other.

"Oh, it's something big. What is it, _Nitwing_?"

He didn't reply, and Wally began to smirk. Finally, after a few minutes, Dick let out a frustrated sigh.

"I think I have a crush on Barbara."

"Really, now?" Artemis said, her mouth falling open.

"Don't say it."

"We're not going to say anything, are we?" she asked, turning to her boyfriend.

"Come on! You have to let me have this."

"Why do you think you have a crush on her?"

He sighed, rubbing the back of his head, "There was a night when we were on patrol, and apparently I got knocked out. I had a dream, and in the dream I thought she had died. I performed CPR on her, and then I kissed her when she was revived. That's when I woke up. She visited the next day, and I couldn't look at her without nervous around her. I've felt different about her since."

They were both silent for a minute as they looked at one another, and Dick dropped his head as he waited for a response.

"We were wondering how long it would take for you to figure it out," she said, and his head immediately popped up.

"What?"

"It's so obvious."

"You've known?" he replied, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Dick, it's obvious there's something between you and Barbara. It's there, buried underneath the surface. It just took you a while to figure it out."

He rubbed his face, unsure of what to even say. Wally gently scratched his own head.

"If you really feel like you care for Barbara, you need to talk to her," Artemis said softly, reaching over to grab for his hands. "She needs to know."

"What if that ruins everything between us?" he asked, and she dropped her head. "I don't want to lose my best friend."

Wally coughed, and he rolled his eyes. "My best _female_ friend."

"Please talk to her."

Dick let out another frustrated sigh, unsure of what to say. She gently squeezed his hands, trying to reassure him.

"Talk to her, Dick. You never know how she may be feeling."

He took in Artemis' words, his mind going into overdrive as he thought it through. Letting go of his hands, she stood up.

"You know, it's about time for lunch," she said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Have you eaten yet? There's a really nice restaurant just down the road."

"Er, sure," Dick replied, watching as Wally grinned at him. "Don't say it, Wally."

"Look at you, Mr. Sauvé, with the girl troubles."

"Shut. Up.," Dick hissed, watching as Wally's grin grew wider.

"Babe, remember when we first got together, and he kept picking on us?"

"Wally," she warned, grabbing for her coat. "C'mon, Dick, let's take you out to eat."

"Thank you, Art," he said, putting his own coat back on. "Coming, _Speedy?_ "

"I am going to kick your ass," he said, before running over and knocking Dick to the floor. Artemis shook her head as she put her hat on.

"You two are morons. Come on, I'm starving."

"Coming, babe," Wally said, helping Dick off of the floor. "This isn't over, _Nitwing._ "

"Oh, I think it is, Speedy."

Wally glared at him, and Dick grinned as he followed behind them out of the apartment.

They may have moved away, but things still haven't changed.

* * *

"You're in a good mood, Master Richard," Alfred said, turning to his young charge who was fixing his hair in the mirror.

"Going to see Barbara," he replied, looking back at him through the glass. "I'm going to see if she wants to go out for dinner."

Alfred eyed him, and he turned away, as though knowing the older man had figured it out. Finishing his hair, he grabbed for his car keys.

"Master Richard, if I were you, I'd buy some flowers first."

Dick opened his mouth before closing it again before nodding his head. "Good point, Alfie."

Walking out to the garage, he started up his car and drove off to the city, his nerves starting to get the best of him. He stopped to pick up flowers, lilies, her favorite ones, before he began to drive off to her apartment. Getting out of his car, he was just about to pull the flowers out when he saw her walk out of the apartment building.

And she wasn't alone.

"Dick!" she said in surprise. "I didn't know you were coming here today."

"David Sullivan?" Dick said, furrowing his brow. Barbara blushed. "What's he doing around here?"

"Um, Dick, let's talk in private," she said, pulling him away. She turned to him once they were out of sight. "David and I are going, well, we're sort-of on a….date."

His mouth fell open as his heart began to pound in his chest. Feeling flustered, he gently ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he replied, his voice cracking. "I should have called. I'll just be going."

"You don't have to-"

"No, er, I should be going," he replied, turning back to his car. She furrowed her brow in confusion. "See you tomorrow, Babs."

He started the car and drove off, letting out deep breaths as he attempted to get his nerves to calm down. Biting his cheek, he drove back home in silence.

"Dick?" Bruce said, once the car pulled in. "I thought he was going out with Barbara?"

"He was supposed to be," Alfred whispered back, and they watched as Dick got out of his car and grabbed for the flowers before walking back inside the manor. "Oh, dear."

"Leave him be," Bruce said quietly, gently patting Alfred's shoulder "I think he needs to be alone."

* * *

Stepping out of the zeta tube, Nightwing took his coat off and hung it on the hook before he traveled to the living room, noticing how empty the cave was. Sitting down on the couch, he let out a sigh, dropping his head into his hands. He didn't even notice someone walk up to him.

"What's wrong with you?" Zatanna asked, cranking her head to the side. Nightwing shrugged.

"Nothing, Z."

"C'mon, talk to me," she said, sitting down next to him. He sighed.

"I know you're my ex and all, but I really need to talk to someone."

"I'm still your friend," she whispered, gently rubbing his back. "Let me help you."

He let out a soft sigh, rubbing his hands together. An awkward silence fell between them before he finally spoke.

"I have a crush on Barbara."

"I had the feeling," she replied softly, watching as he turned his head towards her.

"I was going to ask her out, but it turns out she already had a date."

"Nightwing," she whispered, rubbing his back. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't reply, and she continued to rub his back. Letting out a sigh, he lifted his head back up and looked straight ahead, running his hands through his hair.

"You know, when we were dating, you always did that when you were nervous."

He chuckled, turning his head towards her. "My nervous tick, I guess."

"Somehow, your hair still looks good, though," she replied, fluffing his hair.

"Hey, hey, you're ruining the hair," he said, swatting her hand away. She laughed.

"Oh, sorry, can't ruin that," she replied, rolling her eyes. Her face then turned serious. "I am sorry about Barbara. I see how much you two like each other."

"Apparently everybody does," he said, clasping his hands together as he looked down.

"I told you when we broke up that there was someone else. Looks like you finally figured it out."

"You were right. I do have feelings for Barb."

She rubbed his back again, and silence fell between them for a few minutes. He finally let out a sigh and raised his head back up.

"I'm sorry, Nightwing. I really am."

"It's Dick," he said, turning to face her. She furrowed her brow.

"What?"

"My name. Dick Grayson."

Her mouth opened in surprise when he turned to her and pulled his glasses off, showing her his blue eyes.

"Batman is going to be so mad at you."

He shrugged, putting the glasses back on. "Oh well. I'll deal with him."

She smiled softly, rubbing his back.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you while we were dating."

"You didn't have a choice. I get it. Maybe I didn't then, but I do now. I did have fun while we were dating, you know."

He looked back up at her and gently pressed his hand to her cheek before pulling it away. Awkward silence fell between them.

"Thanks for helping me," he finally said, watching as she nodded.

"Anytime, Dick."

He smiled, and she threw him one back. The next minute Batman walked into the living room.

"Suit up. I have a mission."

"Right away," Nightwing replied. He then turned back to Zatanna. "Ready for this?"

"More than ready," she replied with a grin, taking his hand so he could help her off the couch.

* * *

' _Finally,'_ Dick thought, once the bell for lunch finally rang. Grabbing for his bag, he walked out of the classroom and to his locker. Once he had everything gathered for his next class, he finally walked into the cafeteria and grabbed for his lunch, sitting down at the table. A minute later Tim sat down next to him.

"Hey, Tim," he said, before taking a bite. "How's your classes today?"

"Long," he replied with a shrug. "Yours?"

"Same," he said with a shrug. "Have you seen Babs?"

He shook his head, and Dick rolled his eyes as he thought about where she was. A moment later she appeared.

"Are you going to the Winter Formal?" she asked them, sitting down opposite him at lunch. Tim shook his head, while Dick looked up at her.

"I don't think so."

"Why not? David and I are going."

Dick didn't reply, but looked back down and started to play with his food. She grabbed for his hand, causing him to lift his head back up.

"I think you should come. We could double date."

"Babs," he sighed, dropping his fork.

"Please, Dick? I'd really love it if my best friend was there."

The look on her face broke his resolve, and he found himself nodding, watching as her face lit up with a smile. Standing up, she walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, watching as she sat back down.

"Who are you going to bring?"

"Not sure."

"Do you need me to find you a date?" she teased, and he smirked slightly.

"I can find myself a date."

"I offered to help."

He shook his head, but a smirk still played on his lips. She took a bite of her lunch, before she was tapped on her shoulder.

"Hey, babe."

"Hi, David," she replied, standing back up. "I'll catch you boys later, right?"

They nodded, and Dick bit his cheek as he watched Barbara laugh at David's joke as they walked away. Letting out a sigh, he turned away from them and back to his food.

"You're so jealous," Tim said, watching as Dick looked between David and Barbara.

"I am not."

"Then stop staring at them," he replied. Dick gave him a look.

"I am not looking at them."

Tim looked up in the direction Dick was looking before turning back to him. "Looks like David and Barbara to me."

"Shut up," he replied, watching as Tim smirked before returning to his book.

"You are so jealous."

* * *

"Happy Thanksgiving, Miss. Gordon," Alfred said, moving aside to let her in.

"You, too, Alfred. Is Dick around?"

"In the living room," he said, shutting the door behind her. She turned to it and spotted Dick on the couch, watching a movie.

"Hey there, stranger."

"Hey, Babs," he replied, sitting up. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Same to you," she replied, sitting next to him. "Ready for dinner?"

"Always am," he replied with a grin, and she threw him a small smile. "I'm ready for some pumpkin pie."

"My favorite," she replied, and he grinned at her.

"I figured you would like that."

"I can't wait. Dad and Emily are meeting me out here later once they get off work."

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'll get a water," she said, standing back up. "Do you want one?"

He nodded, and she walked into the kitchen before returning with two water bottles. She gave one to him before sitting down next to him once again.

"What's on the agenda this year, Boy Wonder?"

He grinned at her. "I don't know. What are you thinking, Batgirl?"

She smiled. "I was thinking that we could watch a movie."

"I'd like that," he replied, watching as she went to lay down on the couch and plopped her feet on his lap. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Relaxing before dinner," she replied, looking over at him.

"Like this?"

"Is there a problem?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

He shook his head, unable to think of what to say to her. Staring at the television, he noticed that her eyes were focused on him.

"What is going on with you lately? It's like you've had a hard time talking to me."

He was about to speak before Tim walked into the living room. They both looked over at him.

"Hello, Tim. Happy Thanksgiving."

"You, too, Babs," he said, taking a seat in the chair.

"Are you going to stay for dinner, Tim?"

"My parents are having dinner, but can I come by for dessert?"

"You're always welcome," Dick reminded him. "Just like Babs over here sneaking in every year."

"Sneaking in?" she asked, a smirk plastered on her face as her furrowed her eyebrows. "Please. Bruce lets me come here every year."

"He feels bad for you."

"Whatever," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I can't wait for dinner tonight."

"Me, either," Dick said, stretching his arms out.

* * *

"Would you like a slice?" Dick asked shaking the plate in front of her. She gave him a look.

"Of course I would."

"Tough," he replied, taking a bite of the pie. "Mmm, it tastes so good."

"You're an asshole," she replied, pushing him to the ground. The plate fell to the ground next to him.

"My pie!" he cried, his hand going to his chest in a dramatic way. "You'll pay for that, Gordon!"

"Oh, yeah?" she asked, a smirk growing on her face. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down, moving his hands to her sides to tickle her. She started to shriek, doing whatever she could to get him away.

"D-Dick!" she laughed out, trying to catch her breath.

"Say you're sorry."

"I-I'm sorry," she breathed, and he took his hands away, allowing her to catch her breath. His eyes met hers, and he found that he couldn't look away.

' _What are you doing? She has a boyfriend,'_ he thought to himself, helping them both up the floor.

"Can I get you a piece of pie?" he asked, watching as she nodded.

"I'd like that," she replied, looking down. He nodded before turning to walk back into the kitchen, confusion filling his mind.

Things were completely different between them now. There was no changing that.

* * *

"You look beautiful," Dick said, looking at Barbara.

"Thank you, Dick."

"Hitting on my date, Grayson?" David asked, wrapping his arm around Barbara's waist. Dick bit his cheek.

"He's being nice, David."

"Barbara, David, this is Christine Martin."

"Christine," Barbara said, throwing her a smile. "Nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too," she replied, shaking her hand. "It's so beautiful in here."

"I agree," Barbara said, looking around. "Shall we go dance?"

They nodded, and followed behind David and Barbara to the dance floor. Gently placing his hands on Christine's hips, they danced along to the music.

It was awkward.

He was so used to dancing with Barbara, that dancing with Christine made him feel a little uneasy. He almost stepped on her feet a few times, lost balance and nearly tripped.

He was never this bad of a dancer.

When the song finally ended, he broke away from her, throwing her a small smile while still feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I'll go get you some punch."

"Ok," she replied, clearly feeling a little uncomfortable as well. Bowing his head, he walked past her and over to the drink station.

"Hey, Grayson," David said, holding two glasses of punch.

"Sullivan."

"Are you and Christine going out?"

"No," he replied, filling up the cups. "She's just my date for the dance."

"She looks like she's having fun."

"So do you and Barbara," he replied, putting the spoon back into the bowl.

"She's an amazing girlfriend."

Dick didn't reply, but he picked up the glasses before returning back to Christine. Giving her one of them, he watched as she took a drink, looking around the gymnasium.

"It's always so beautiful in here around the holidays."

"I agree," he replied, bobbing his head. He drank all of his punch. "Would you like another dance?"

"I'd love one," she replied, putting her glass down on their table. Taking his hand, he led her back out to the dance floor.

This dance was just as awkward as the first.

"Are you having fun?" Barbara asked an hour later, once they were alone. He shrugged.

"You know dances really aren't my thing."

"You enjoy them with me."

He didn't reply, but he chose to take a drink of his punch. She tilted her head to the side.

"Choosing to ignore me today?"

"Would I ever ignore you?"

"You do say I babble on a lot."

"That is not why I call you Babs."

"Sure it isn't," she said, and he couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Are you having a good time tonight?"

"I am, actually," she said, looking over at David. "I've had a lot of fun with him."

Dick looked down, his heart breaking as he heard that from her. Looking back up at her, he couldn't help but notice how happy she was.

"I'm glad you're having a good time."

She reached over and grabbed for his hand, squeezing it lightly. He squeezed it back, letting her know that he cared.

He cared much more than she knew.

* * *

Dick let out a sigh as he put his suit on, smoothing it out as he looked at himself in the mirror. He then grabbed for his tie and put it on, finding less motivation as time went on.

There was a knock on his door, and he moved to open it, spotting Bruce on the other side. He let him in before returning to the mirror.

"Are you ok?" Bruce asked, watching as Dick fixed his tie in the mirror. He shrugged.

"I'm just ready for this to be over with already."

"That's not like you," Bruce said, walking over to fix his collar. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he replied, watching as Bruce gave him a look through the mirror. "Just not feeling the best today."

"You don't have to go to this if you don't feel like it."

"I'll be fine," he replied, turning to him. "Is it time to go?"

"Just about. Are you sure you feel like going?"

He nodded, watching as Bruce clapped his shoulder before they both walked out of his bedroom. Walking down the staircase, they met with Alfred in the living room.

"Are you taking off then, sir?"

"Yes, we are," he replied, grabbing for his keys. "Enjoy the night off, Alfred."

"Will do, sir," he replied, nodding his head. "Enjoy your night as well."

"Let's get going, Dick," Bruce said, before they both turned to the garage. Getting into his car, he drove off.

"No date?" Dick asked in confusion. "I thought I'd be driving myself there."

Bruce didn't reply, and the rest of the drive was silent. Once they reached the hall, they got out of the car and walked inside to the already-packed ball room.

"Go mingle," Bruce said, watching as Dick let out a sigh before turning away from him. Looking around, he spotted all the adults talking or dancing on the floor, and he quickly moved out of the way to avoid some of the dancing couples. Walking over to the assigned table, he let out a breath before sitting down, throwing his head back when his neck started to ache.

"Hello, Dick."

He turned around, his mouth falling open once he saw her. Her hair was curled, she was wearing the necklace he had given her, and she was wearing a green strapless dress.

"Barbara!"

"Surprised to see me?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips as she tilted her head at him.

"A little. I didn't think you would be here."

"You know I always come to Bruce's parties."

"No David?" he asked in surprise, watching as she shook her head and smiled.

"I've always went to Bruce's parties with you. It would be wrong not to."

He smiled softly, holding his hand out for her. "Shall we?"

She took hold of his hand and followed him out to the dance floor, wrapping her arms around his neck. His settled on her waist, and they began to sway softly to the music.

"It's always so beautiful in here," she replied, looking around at the decorations. Dick smiled.

"Bruce pays for people to put these decorations up."

"I think it's amazing," she said, turning her attention back to him.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Yeah?" she asked, cranking her head to the side. "I knew you enjoyed my company."

"Too much, actually," he replied, grinning down at her. She smiled back up at him.

She laid her head on his shoulder, and they continued to slowly sway to the song. When it finally ended, she pulled away from him.

"Another year gone."

"It's hard to believe," he whispered, pushing her hair out of her face. She looked up at him.

"Not really. I can believe I've dealt with you for all of these years."

He narrowed his eyes, but a smirk played with his lips.

"The joke that never gets old."

"Who says I'm joking?" she replied, her eyes lighting up. The smirk never left his face.

He gently dipped her, watching as her hair nearly touched the ground before he gently pulled her back up. She smiled at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

"We haven't danced like this in a long time," she said softly, when he pulled her close to him.

"We've gotten a little busy," he replied, and a sad smile lit up her lips.

"Yeah, I know."

The music came to a stop, and he pulled away from her, but found himself lingering at the same time. He struggled to find the words before it finally came to him.

"Would you like some punch?"

"I'd love some," she said, throwing him a smile as she followed him over to the drinks table. Grabbing for one of the fancy glasses, he poured the punch into the cup and gave it to her, watching as she put it up to her lips and took a drink from it.

"This is really good," she said, lowering the glass. "Don't you want any?"

"I'm not thirsty," he replied quietly, unable to look away from her. She tilted her head to the side.

"You're acting very strange lately. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly, watching as she gave him the look.

"Grayson."

"Gordon."

"I know you better than that," she said, placing her hand on his arm. He fought the shivers that ran through his body. "Tell me what's bothering you."

He bit his cheek, trying to figure out what to say to her. When the next song started to play, he gently put one hand on her waist and grabbed hold of the other, swaying softly to the music.

"You're trying to distract me."

"Just enjoying the dance," he replied quietly, watching as she narrowed her eyes.

"You always tell me what's wrong with you. Let me help you."

"There's nothing wrong with me," he reassured her, swaying to the music. "You know I would tell you if something was wrong."

"You promise?" she asked, and he nodded, throwing her a smile.

"Pinky promise."

"You remember," she said with a smile.

"I haven't forgotten anything. You are my best friend, after all."

She laid her head on his shoulder, and they continued to sway to the music until the song finally finished. When it did, they pulled away, but kept each other at arms length.

"Thanks for the dance," she said, placing her hands on his arms.

"It's tradition," he replied, and she let out a small laugh.

"I'm going to see if I can find my dad. Catch you around, bighead."

He laughed as she turned and walked away. Watching her as she walked, he couldn't help but noticed that he missed her the second she was out of sight.


	24. Progress

"Ready for school, Master Richard?" Alfred asked, cleaning the dishes in the sink. He shrugged.

"I guess so."

"Something on your mind?" Bruce asked, putting his tablet down. Dick shook his head.

"Nothing. I better go. I still have to pick up Tim," he replied, grabbing for his bookbag. Walking out to the garage, he got into his car and started it up, letting it warm up. Tapping his fingers against the wheel, his mind went into overdrive.

' _I fell for my best friend. I fell for my best friend, and she has a boyfriend.'_

Once the car was warmed up, he pulled out of the garage and drove out of the driveway, driving next door to Tim's house. Tim was waiting by the gate for him.

"You could have waited in the house. It's freezing out here," Dick said, once Tim was in the car.

"I'm trying to adapt to the weather. I'm going to be in the field soon."

"Your suit will be heated," Dick said, driving down the road.

"Doesn't mean I shouldn't try to adapt," Tim replied, and Dick nodded his head, impressed by Tim's willingness.

"You'll be out there soon. Are you ready?"

"More than ready," he replied, and Dick threw him a smile.

They continued to talk until Dick pulled into the Gotham Academy parking lot. Once they got out of the car and walked inside, they waited for Barbara.

They didn't have to wait long.

"Good morning," she said, walking up to Tim and Dick.

"Morning, Babs."

"Why does it feel like it's going to be a long day?" she asked, letting out a sigh as she sat down on the bench. Dick shrugged.

"Must just be you."

"Haha," she replied, rolling her eyes. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

"I wonder why," he replied, watching as she looked up at him.

"Yeah, I had a long night," she said, watching as he grinned at her.

"Whiner."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes once again.

"Hey, beautiful," David said, walking up to her. Dick held back a groan.

"Hi, David," she said, standing up. "I'll see you boys at lunch."

"Yeah," Dick said dully, watching as they both walked away. Tim turned towards him.

"You so want to kiss her."

"Be quiet," he said, giving him a shove. "Come on. Let's get to class."

Tim smirked as he followed Dick down the hallway and to their lockers.

* * *

Dick let out a sigh as he walked through the cave, his dark shades pushed up the bridge of his nose. Turning to walk into the living room, he looked around, noticing how empty it was.

Well, not entirely empty.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, furrowing his brow as he spotted Artemis sitting on the couch.

"I thought I'd come and see everyone before term starts up again. How have you been?"

"Ok," he replied, sitting down next to her.

"So, no new information. What happened between you and Barbara?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "A few days after I came to see you two, I went to go ask her out. Bought her lilies, showed up at her apartment. When I got there, she was going on a date."

"Ouch," she said, looking down. "That had to sting."

"Yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his head again.

"She's been dating this guy for that long?"

"Yeah."

"How are you doing?"

He sighed. "Honestly? It's so hard to be around her anymore. Seeing her with David tears me up inside. She's noticing, too, and keeps wanting to talk about it."

"Ok," she said, rubbing her hands together. "You need to get alone with her, without Tim or David by her side. You need to talk to her. Alone."

"She has a boyfriend, Art."

"Don't say you have feelings for her, then. Just talk to her how you would have talked to her before you grew a crush on her."

He didn't reply, and she gently placed her hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

"Don't be scared, Dick."

"Am I ever scared?" he replied with a grin, watching as she rolled her eyes and gave him a gentle push.

"I'm serious."

"I know you are," he said, dropping his head. "I'll talk to her."

"Thank you," she whispered, looking at him.

"Thanks, Art," Dick said, throwing her a smile.

"Anytime."

He looked at his watch and noticed the time, letting out a small groan as he did so. "I have to go. Canary is doing one of her training sessions again."

"Good luck," she replied with a slight laugh, watching as he grinned at her. Standing up, he stretched before walking out of the room, spotting Barbara walking up to it.

"Hey, Dick!" she said cheerfully.

"Hey, Babs."

"Are you leaving?" she asked sadly.

"Yeah, er, I have to get ready for training."

"Oh," she said.

"Catch you later, Babs."

He turned and walked away, and she let out a soft sigh before she walked into the room, spotting Artemis on the couch.

"Oh, you Batkids."

"Is Dick ok?" Barbara asked, watching as Artemis looked up. "He's been so weird around me lately."

"I'm sure he's fine," she replied, looking away from her. "So, you have a boyfriend and you didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry," she said with a small laugh, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "I wanted to see how it would go before I told people."

"And?"

"I'm really enjoying it. He's such a great guy."

"What about your crush on Dick?"

She shrugged, sitting down on the couch. "He's never going to have feelings for me. So, when David asked me out, I said yes, and I'm glad I did. These last few months have been incredible."

Artemis dropped her head, something that didn't go unnoticed by Barbara.

"What?"

"I'm happy for you," she replied.

"Thank you," she whispered back.

"Tell me," Artemis said, watching as Barbara raised her head. "Your crush on Dick, it didn't come out of the blue, did it?"

Barbara shook her head, a small smile on her face. "Don't make fun of me for this."

"I would never."

"When I was little, and I saw Robin for the very first time, I had a little crush on him. I can't explain it, but, over the years, my crush on Robin grew. I loved the fact that someone my age was out there helping to save the city. When I found out it was Dick, my best friend, I couldn't believe it. I don't know how he managed to hide it from me, but Dick was Robin. They were the same person. I realized that I had a crush on my best friend and had for years without even realizing it."

Artemis stared at her, and she immediately dropped her head. An awkward silence fell between them before Artemis spoke again.

"Are you happy with David?"

"Very," Barbara replied with a smile. "He's so sweet and funny and I enjoy being with him."

"I'm happy for you," she replied.

"I wish I could talk to you longer. Canary's having a training session today."

"I'm going to see my mom soon. Why don't I stop by your apartment before I go back?"

"I would love that," Barbara said, giving her a hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You better get going. Canary doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Barbara nodded before she grabbed hold of her bag and walked out of the living room, spotting the others stretching out in the training room. Walking up next to Nightwing, she dropped her bag on the floor and started her own stretches, wondering what the matter with Dick was.

"Welcome, everyone," Black Canary said, walking into the training room. "Thank you all for coming."

"Another training session?" Nightwing asked, watching as Barbara turned her head towards him and shook it.

"I want to see how you're all doing today. This training session will be both one-on-one and partner fighting. Team up, and let's start."

Barbara teamed up with Zatanna, while Nightwing moved towards Superboy. Black Canary walked around, observing every member of the team.

"Zatanna, go with M'gann and Garfield. I want to work with Barbara for a couple of minutes."

She waited until Zatanna moved away before turning to Barbara, who looked up at her in confusion.

"When you're ready," Dinah said, watching as Barbara got into stance before she started to attack her.

"Ow!" Barbara said, once Canary grabbed for her arm.

"Try again," Dinah said, watching as Barbara let out a frustrated grunt before attacking her again. After a few more minutes of fighting, Dinah stopped her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down.

"Barbara," she said, looking down at the young girl, "is something on your mind?"

"No," she replied back, dropping her head. Dinah narrowed her eyes at her.

"Everyone, take a short break. Barbara, come with me. Let's talk," she said, pulling her away. Once in were in a private room, she shut the door behind her and sat Barbara down in the chair.

"Something is clearly bothering you. Talk to me about it."

"Nothing is bothering me, Dinah," Barbara replied, looking up at her.

"You were trained by Batman and your fighting abilities were very weak during practice today. Something is distracting you."

Barbara sighed, pushing her hair out of her face. There was an awkward silence before she finally spoke.

"Do you promise not to tell anyone?"

"Nothing leaves this room."

"Nightwing is my best friend. We've been friends forever, but, for whatever reason, he hasn't been wanting to spend much time together lately. It's really been getting to me because he's my best friend, he's my teammate and I can't be without him."

Dinah nodded her head, as though understanding what she was saying. She then reached over and grabbed for Barbara's hands, forcing the young girl's head to lift back up.

"It sounds like he means a lot more to you than just a friendship."

"I've had a crush on him for a long time, but he never had one for me. I'm actually in a relationship with a guy I really like."

Silence fell among the women, and Barbara dropped her head while Dinah looked at her. After a minute she reached over and grabbed for the young girl's hands.

"If I were you, I would sit down with Nightwing and have a long conversation. Ask him why he may be avoiding you. Try to talk it out. If he's your friend, then you'll work it out."

"Thanks, Dinah," she said, giving the older woman a hug.

"You're very welcome. I'm always here if you need to talk."

* * *

"Alfred, is Dick here?" Barbara asked, walking up to the elder man.

"He is down in the cave with young Timothy, Miss. Gordon."

"Thank you, Alfred," she replied, throwing him a smile before turning to walk down to the cave. When she arrived, she spotted Dick and Tim training together.

"Excellent," Dick said, grabbing hold of Tim's staff to prevent him from hitting him with it. "Take a break, Tim. You look exhausted."

"Thanks, Dick," he replied, before taking a drink of his water. That's when Dick noticed Barbara.

"Hey, Babs!" he replied, wiping his face with a towel. "What brings you around?"

"I thought I'd stop by and see how you're doing. Hi, Tim."

"Hey, Babs," he replied, smiling up at her. "I'm going to grab something to eat."

"Good idea. Alfred probably has some snacks waiting for us upstairs."

Tim nodded, before turning to walk out of the cave. Barbara looked at Dick, who had turned away from her.

"I haven't heard from you much. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he replied, plopping down into Bruce's chair. He pulled a file up and began to read from it, watching as she moved in his line of vision.

"Dick."

"Barbara."

"Can we please talk?" she asked, placing her hand on his. Shivers immediately went up his spine, and he pulled his hand away, something that didn't go unnoticed by her.

' _Uh oh,'_ he thought, dropping his head.

"What is wrong with you lately?!" she snapped, standing up in front of him. "I feel like I can't talk to you anymore!"

"There is nothing wrong with me!" he replied back, watching as she stared definitely at him.

"We never used to be like this, Dick! We used to always talk to each other! Now it feels like you don't even want to be around me anymore!"

"That is not true!" he yelled back, watching as she took a step back. He dropped his head, letting out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

"What is going on between us?" she whispered, watching as he looked back up at her. "You're my best friend, Dick. I love you. I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, either," he whispered back, placing his hand on her arm. "Babs, please listen to me. There's nothing wrong with me, but I have been distant from you."

"Why?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I miss you, Babs," he said, both of his hands going to both of her arms. "I'm happy for you and David. I really am, but I feel like I don't get to see you anymore. You eat lunch with him, you text him when we're hanging out. I really am happy for you, but I feel like we've grown apart since you've started dating him."

Her face fell, and he dropped his head, waiting for her to say something-anything. After a minute of silence she lifted his head back up.

"Dick, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be-"

"No, I am. You're right. I haven't seen you at all since David and I started dating. I've missed my best friend, too."

She grabbed hold of his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, watching as he squeezed it back. She then jumped into his arms and gave him a hug.

"Ok," she said, breaking away from him after a minute. "You and me tonight. Let's go out to eat and go bowling. Just the two of us."

"Yeah?" he asked, watching as she nodded her head and smiled.

"Yeah. I miss my best friend."

He grinned at her, watching as she smiled back at him. Tim returned to the cave holding a tray of food.

"Alfred had me send these down," he said, putting the tray down.

"Thanks, Tim," Barbara said, ruffling his hair before she grabbed for the sandwich triangle. Dick and Tim both grabbed for one.

"To Tim, and almost a years' worth of training, to officially become Robin next month," Dick said, holding the sandwich out to him. Barbara did the same.

"To Tim," she repeated, watching as he smiled up at them.

"Thank you both for everything."

* * *

Dick took a deep breath before he raised his fist and knocked on the door, heart pounding in his chest. After a minute the door opened, revealing Barbara on the other side.

"Dick!" she said, jumping into his arms. He let out a laugh.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Just about," she said, grabbing for her purse. She looked in it before turning to her father. "I'll be back later, dad."

"Have fun, pumpkin," he replied, throwing her a smile. She turned and walked out of the door, closing it behind her.

"I'm starving," she said, breaking the ice between them as they walked down to his car.

"Panera's sound good?" he asked, watching as she nodded.

"Sounds amazing, actually."

They got into his car and he started it up before driving off. An awkward silence fell between them.

"Thanks for taking me out tonight," she said, breaking the silence. "It feels like it's been a long time since we've done this."

He nodded, heart beating in his chest. She noticed how flustered he was and reached over to grab for his hand, squeezing it softly.

"I get it."

"Get what?" she asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. He smiled softly.

"Remember a few years ago, right before you found out I was Robin? You felt like I had been ignoring you and not wanting to spend time with you."

"Yeah," she said, pushing her hair out of her face.

* * *

"Really? A pink ball?" Dick asked, throwing her a smirk.

"I like pink," she replied, putting the ball down. He put his ball down next to hers.

"You're up first, Gordon," he said, watching as she sat down to put her shoes on.

"Get ready to get stomped on, Grayson."

He grinned, watching as she stood up and grabbed for her ball. He put his own shoes on while she took her turn.

"Seven pins. Your turn, bighead."

He gave her a look before he stood up, grabbed for his ball and threw it down the alley. He got three pins before he threw it down the alley again, getting another two.

"Your turn, Babs."

"Get ready to be amazed," she replied, cracking her fingers. She grabbed for her ball and threw it down the alley.

"Strike!" she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. He gave her a look.

"You think you're so good, Gordon."

"I am good, Grayson," she replied with a smirk, watching as he stood up.

"I'm still a little hungry. How about I order us some sodas and fries with cheese sauce?"

"Sounds great," she replied with a smile, and he threw her one back before he went to order the food. He took hold of the sodas and walked back to the table, watching as she smiled up at him.

His heart fluttered for a minute.

"Diet, as asked for," he said, giving her the cup.

"Thank you, kind sir."

"You're welcome," he replied, sitting across from her. "Looks like you won the game."

"Told you I'm good," she replied, and he gave her a look.

"In your dreams."

"How about a rematch," she said, looking back towards the alley.

"Deal," he replied, resetting the system. He then turned back to her. "I'm having a really good time tonight. We haven't hung out like this in a really long time."

"I know," she whispered, looking down sadly. "I knew we were getting older, Dick, and I knew we would grow apart a little, but I was hoping it would hold off."

"I'm glad to see you happy, Babs. Your happiness is more important to me than anything."

She stared up at him, heart pounding in her chest as she processed his words. They continued to stare at each other, unable to move away.

"Grayson, your order is ready."

Looking away, they both snapped back to reality, and he stood up to get the food, his mind going into overdrive as it had been for quite a while.

' _I can't believe I missed my chance,'_ he thought, walking up to the counter. He then grabbed hold of the fries and walked back over to the table.

"Your fries, as requested."

"Thank you," she said, dipping the fries into the cheese sauce. "Still up for that rematch?"

"Always," he replied, and she smiled softly.

"Something's on your mind."

He shook his head, picking the ball up as he did so. He threw it down the alley, knocking over five pins as he did so. Once his turn was over, he returned to the table.

"Your turn," he said, grabbing some fries. She stared at him for a minute before standing up to take her turn, rolling the ball down the lane.

She got another strike.

"Cheater," Dick said, watching as she threw him another smirk before sitting back down.

"Don't be jealous."

"I would never be jealous of you."

"Uh-huh," she replied, taking another fry. Her face then turned serious. "I have missed this. Missed us."

"So have I, Babs," he said, reaching over to grab for her hand. She smiled.

"Let's finish this game so I can kick your butt," she replied, watching as he gave her a look.

"You wish, Gordon."

They finished the game before they put everything away and drove back home, both silent as he drove back to her apartment building. Once they arrived, she unlocked the door and walked up to her apartment.

"I had a really good time," she said, turning to face him. "I promise, Dick, I will make more time for us."

"I don't want to ruin your relationship with David," he said, pushing her hair out of her face.

"You won't. He understands you're my friend and I need to hang out with you. I need to hang out with you without the suits or the school uniforms."

He chuckled, brushing his fingers against her cheek before he pulled them away. She looked up at him.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," he replied, rubbing her arm.

His face was so close to hers, and he found that he couldn't turn away from her. She was looking up at him, and there was something in her eyes that he couldn't identify.

"I should be going."

"Yeah," she said, breaking away from him.

"See you later, Babs."

"Bye, Dick," she whispered, before he turned to walk away. She closed the door behind him and pressed her back against the wood, letting out a sigh.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Dick asked, giving Tim the box. The younger one nodded, taking it from him as he did so.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"You're going to be with us. You'll be just fine."

Tim grinned up at him before opening the box, revealing the suit that he had designed himself. He looked over it, and Dick watched the younger one as he studied from it.

"We've given you the changes that you wanted. Your suit is far different from Jason's suit, but it is equipped with everything you'll need. Your utility belt is stocked and ready for use."

"Thank you," Tim said, looking over the suit.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely," Tim said, looking back up. "I've been ready for this, Dick. I've trained for nine months for this."

Dick walked over and put his hand on Tim's shoulder, smiling down at him. When Barbara came down the stairwell, dressed as Batgirl, Dick grabbed hold of his own suit.

"Time to suit up, Robin."

Tim nodded, taking his own suit of the box. Barbara sat down in Bruce's chair and waited for the boys to return.

"Hello, Barbara," Bruce said, walking up to her.

"Hello, Bruce," she replied, watching as the boys returned.

"I want you and Barbara to meet me near GCPD. Tim and I will follow behind."

They nodded before they turned to walk to their bikes. Bruce then turned to Tim.

"Tim, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Bruce. I'm ready."

Batman held his hand out, and Robin shook it. "Then let's get to work, Robin."

They walked over to the Batmobile and got in. Once Bruce started up the car, they drove off into the city, Tim's heart pounding in his chest at the thought of his first real mission.

When they arrived at the meeting point, they grappled up to the top of the building and spotted Nightwing and Batgirl, who were chatting with one another.

"Welcome to the field," Batgirl said, throwing him a smile. Robin grinned up at her.

"Thanks, BG."

"You stay with me," Batman ordered, and the other three dropped their heads. "This is still training for you, and I need to see how you do in the field."

"Yes, sir," Robin replied, moving next to him.

"I've been investigating a lead," Batman continued on, watching as the three teenagers looked up at him. "I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I've brought in some help."

"Who?" Nightwing said, furrowing his brow.

"Little old me," a voice said, and the three teenagers turned around, spotting Catwoman walking slowly up to them.

"Selena," Batman said, watching as she walked up next to him.

"Something big is happening," she said, looking down at the children. "The entire criminal underworld is moving, planning something. I wasn't able to figure out what it was, but according to Poison Ivy, it's big."

"If she's involved, we have a lot of problems. Could she be the mastermind behind it?"

"I'm not certain," Catwoman replied, turning to him. "From the sounds of it, she doesn't want involved. I couldn't get a lot of information out without them figuring it out."

"How much do you know?" Batgirl asked, folding her arms against her chest.

"Whatever it is, its-"

A rumble erupted across the city, shaking buildings. Nightwing instinctively grabbed onto Batgirl, holding her tight against him while Batman held his arms out around Robin and Catwoman, shielding them with his body.

"They weren't supposed to hit until tomorrow night," she said, watching as Batman turned his head towards her.

"Looks like they changed their plans. We need to move. Catwoman, take Batgirl with you. She can help you. Nightwing, call the team. We'll need their help. Robin, you're with me. If this is as bad as I think it's going to be, we're going to need all the help we can get."

Another rumble sound through the city, and they all nodded to each other and split up. Batgirl ran alongside Catwoman, nearly falling down when she suddenly stopped and looked down below her.

"They're already in the streets," she said, watching as men and women ran through the streets. "This is way worse than I thought."

"What do we do?" Batgirl asked, looking over at her.

"We fight," Catwoman replied. "We don't stop fighting until it's over."

* * *

"Barbara, listen to me. I want you to stay inside the apartment. Do not leave it. Do you understand me?" Jim said through the phone.

"I understand, dad. Please, stay safe."

"I will, pumpkin. Do not leave the apartment."

He hung up the phone, turning to his men as he did so. "We're taking back our streets. Whatever it takes."

"Yes, sir," they all echoed back.

"Go," he ordered, watching as they all turned on their heels and moved.

"Jim."

"Batman," he said, turning back to the signal.

"We have help coming," he said, Robin lingering not far behind him. "Whoever orchestrated this has power. A lot of power behind them."

"We'll stop them," Jim replied. "I have my men patrolling the streets."

"Other heroes are assisting. Let's hope there isn't more to this than we're realizing."

* * *

"Nightwing!" Batgirl said, once he finally caught back up with her.

"How's it going?" he asked, watching as she looked over at Catwoman, who was attempting to take her man down.

"Going. Did you call the team in?"

"Yeah. They're here. Batman called the Justice League in as well."

"What are we up against?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he replied, watching as a group stormed up on them, "but, we better fight against it."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she replied with a grin.

He held his hands out, and she jumped into them, feeling him throw her into the air. She quickly did a spin-kick and knocked two men to the floor before landing gracefully, throwing her arm behind her to hit another man in the face.

"Great work, BG," he said, watching her back.

"Thanks," she said, watching as Catwoman did a flip. "Have you heard from Batman?"

"No," he replied, watching another group come-up on them.

They all continued to fight against the group, holding their own against the ongoing assailants. When she heard Nightwing cry out in pain, she immediately turned and kicked the knife out of the man's hand before raising her leg to kick him in the face.

"Nightwing?"

"Fine," he replied, looking around. "Where's Catwoman?"

"I don't know," she said, also looking around. "We must have gotten split up."

"C'mon," he said, pulling her into an abandoned building. She immediately noticed he was grabbing for his side.

"You need to rest."

"I'm not stopping."

"Stubborn," she whispered, sitting him down on the ground.

"We never give up," Nightwing said, giving her a grin. She smiled back up at him.

"Never," she replied, pushing his hair out of his face.

"We shouldn't stay here-" he started, before hissing in pain. She looked down at his wound.

"Are you hurt?" she asked, placing her gloved hand on his side.

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding pretty badly," she said, taking gauze out of her belt. "Here, let me help."

"Bats, I'm-"

"Shush," she replied, starting to wrap his side. He hissed in pain. "Whiner."

"It hurts," he said, watching as she rolled her eyes.

"There," she said, cutting the gauze. She put them back into her belt, watching as he looked down at it.

"Thanks."

"We need to get out of here," she said, peeking around the corner.

"No kidding, really?"

"Shut up," she replied, rolling her eyes. "It's so crowded out there. I don't know how we can get out without being caught."

He let out a small groan as he sat up, and she moved down next to him to help him up.

"Stay with me, ok?" she whispered, placing her fingers on his cheek.

"Babs," he whispered back, reaching up to push her hair back behind her ear.

She stared down at him, unable to look into his eyes with his domino mask covering them. Hearts pounding in both of their chests, she leaned down and he pushed himself up until their lips pressed together, softly and slowly.

They were finally kissing each other, and, somehow, it felt so right.

 **BOOM!**

"We need to move," she said, breaking away from him. He nodded, standing back up.

"C'mon, Babs," he said quietly, pulling her away. They ran from the building and quickly grappled up to the rooftop, managing to avoid gunshots from the streets.

"How did it get this bad so fast?" she asked, watching the destruction below.

"I'm not sure," he replied, shaking his head. He then looked over at her. "Babs, about what just happened-"

"Not now," she said, looking over at him. "Later."

He nodded. "We need to take back this city."

"Together," she said, and he reached over and grabbed for his hand before jumping down.

* * *

"Batman," Superman said through the comms unit, "Kingston is clear."

"Good," he replied, hitting another criminal. "Keep in touch."

He looked over at Robin, who was impressing him more and more every minute. When all over the men were taken down around him, he walked up to him.

"You're doing very well."

"Thanks," Robin replied, trying to catch his breath.

"The city's getting cleaned up, but we still have no idea who was behind this or why."

"It has to be someone who can take a group of people and lead them to do something like this so quickly," Robin said, watching as Batman looked down at him.

"Catwoman said it went through the criminal underground quickly, and it happened earlier than expected."

"Could it be Joker?"

"No. Arkham staff confirmed he's still locked up."

"Are you sure?" Robin asked, looking up at his mentor.

"No."

"Great," he replied, watching as another group of men advanced on them.

"It could also be multiple super-villains," he said, avoiding a shot from the man. Taking the man to the ground, he stood over him. "Who's behind this?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Try again," Batman said, looking over at Robin, who took down the final man.

"T-Two-Face," he stuttered out, watching as Batman dropped his arm. "He wants revenge against you. Blames you for what happened to him."

"Where is he?" The man didn't answer, and Batman pushed him deeper into the ground. "Tell me!"

"Last time I saw him, he was hidden in Warehouse Ten near Bristol. I swear, that's all I know!"

"Thanks," he replied, before knocking the man unconscious. He then turned to Robin. "Alert the others. Tell them to keep fighting. You and I are going after Dent."

Robin nodded, pressing his finger against his ear. Batman then looked around, wondering how much more Dent was going to do.


	25. Developments

"Robin, stay close," Batman ordered, once he was able to park the Batmobile. "Do not underestimate Dent. I want you to get up top and wait for my signal."

"Batman," Robin said, watching as his mentor turned to face him, "are you sure Dent's working alone? Something doesn't feel right about this."

"I agree," he replied. "Stick to the plan, and survey the area. See if he's alone. Let me know otherwise."

Robin nodded, before pulling his grapnel out to get to the top of the building. Batman waited until he was out of sight before pulling his own grapnel out, using it to break open a window to get inside. He then carefully, and quietly, walked across the platform until he heard voices. He then looked down and spotted a group of men standing together.

Dent was also with them.

"We've taken the streets," he addressed, pacing back and forth slowly as he did so. "They've called in help, thinking that it will stop us. Nothing can stop us now!"

Cheering occurred, and Batman analyzed the room, trying to figure out where to attack first.

"Boss, how did you pull this off?" one of the men asked, watching as Dent looked over at him.

"We had help, boys. Anarky had planned this."

More cheering occurred, and Batman furrowed his brow as he observed the room. Looking up, he spotted Robin staring down below, and issued hand commands to him, watching as he nodded before disappearing.

"Time to crash the party, Robin."

"Agreed," he replied, before Batman jumped down, alerting himself to the crowd of men. Robin appeared on the other side, and together they began to take all of the people down.

That's when Dent started running.

"I've got this, Batman!" Robin started, and Batman felt apprehensive. Throwing his ropes, he watched as they wrapped around Dent's feet, causing the man to fall.

Just as Batman was about to interrogate him, a staff came out of nowhere and one of the henchmen in the back.

He immediately turned around, and spotted a woman standing there, fighting off the attackers surrounding her. Taking a good look, he noticed that she was in an all black and purple suit, with a pointed mask covering her face. He wasn't able to look at her for long, as she was moving around to take the men down.

She was fast, agile, almost as good as he was. Almost.

"Batman!" Robin said, jumping to avoid a shot from the man below him. Batman threw a batarang and knocked the man out of the way, watching as it knocked the man down. He then turned back to the woman.

"Who-" Batman asked, but, before he had a chance to answer, she was gone.

"Who was that?" Robin asked, walking up next to Batman.

"I don't know," he replied, looking over in the spot. He then turned back around to Dent and walked up to him. "What did you do?!"

"Me? Nothing," he replied darkly, glaring up at him.

"Why are you working with Anarky?! What does he have planned?!"

"Don't know."

"Answer me!" he ordered once again.

"You're too late," he whispered. "Anarky's followers are already in Gotham, tearing things down."

"We'll see about that," Batman said, tying Dent up. He then turned back to Robin. "We need to find Anarky."

* * *

"How are you holding up?" Batgirl asked, looking over at Nightwing. He shrugged.

"I've been worse."

"I don't want to know," she replied, dropping her eyes. He reached over and grabbed for her hand.

"You worry too much."

"Can you blame me?" she asked, watching as a smirk came across his face. "Nightwing, look out!"

She quickly moved to push him out of the way, but, as she did so, a boulder moved up to protect them from the debris. Looking up, he spotted M'gann hovering above them, and he couldn't help but let out a smile.

"M'gann," he said, looking up at her. She moved down beside them.

"I always have your back, Nightwing," she replied with a smile. Superboy appeared behind him.

"We all do," he said, placing his hand on Nightwing's shoulder.

"We need your help," Nightwing said, forming a huddle. "Batman and Robin are working on taking down-"

"Robin?" M'gann asked softly, and he looked over at her.

"Yeah," he said softly, bowing his head. "Batman and Robin are working on taking down Two-Face. We need to stop the protesters running through the streets."

"Shouldn't be too bad," Zatanna said, walking up to them. "The Justice League is here as well helping out."

"Let's break off into teams," Nightwing said, looking over at Batgirl. "We need to help the G.C.P.D., and the Justice League, take back our city."

They all nodded, and broke up into groups. Batgirl looked over at Nightwing, who let out a long sigh and grabbed for his side.

"You need to get that looked at," she said, walking up to him.

"We need to finish this first."

"You're starting to talk like him," she whispered, looking at him in worry. "Please. We have help."

He walked up to her, pressed his hands to her cheeks, and leaned down, softly pressing his lips to her head. She then let out a soft sigh.

"Babs, I'm ok," he whispered back to her, and she dropped her eyes. "We need to finish this."

"You're so stubborn," she said, and he let out a chuckle.

"That's coming from the queen."

"Shut up," she laughed out, before pulling away from him. "Let's get moving."

"Agreed," he said, and they pulled out their grapnels and vanished.

* * *

"Wherever Anarky is working from, he's well hidden," Robin said, using his gauntlet. "If he is using electronics, I can't get a read on him. He may be using something to block it."

"Keep trying," Batman said, using his own gauntlet. "We have to find him."

Robin went back to his gauntlet, while Batman looked down below, trying to find out where Machin could be hiding.

He then thought back to his last fight with Anarky.

He remembered when Machin left a critical piece of evidence after being apprehended. There was a map left behind at the scene with possible hideout locations on it.

Either Lonnie had thought it had been destroyed, or had forgotten it was there. Either way, it was an opportunity to find him.

"I might know where he is," Batman said, watching as Robin looked at up. "When Jason and I fought Anarky, he left a map at the scene. It could be where he's hiding at."

"Or, it could be a trap," Robin said, and Batman pressed his lips together.

"It's a risk we have to take. This will not stop until we find him."

"Where do we start?" Robin asked softly.

"Downtown."

Robin nodded, and followed him when he started grappling. Remembering what Batgirl told him, he pushed the slight fear he had aside and started grappling alongside Batman, trying to find Anarky in one of the places Batman remembered from the map.

"I have members of the Justice League staking out the other places on the map," Batman said, a few minutes after they landed on a nearby rooftop. "We're going to stake out this one."

"Do you think he's here?"

"Only one way to find out," Batman said, before pulling his grapnel out. Robin followed behind him, and they snuck in through the top of the building.

"There's nothing here," Robin said, after they looked around.

"Superman, Flash, any word?" Batman said through the comms unit.

"Nothing," they both replied, and he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Any other ideas?" Robin asked, watching as Batman pressed his hand on his mouth and began to think.

"No."

Robin began to look around, wondering if the building led to any leads to where Anarky could be hiding. Once he rounded the corner, however, he was attacked.

"Robin?" Batman asked, running over to the source of the noise. When he got over there, though, he was surprised.

"These guys thought they could sneak up on me," he replied with a grin.

"Good work," Batman said, looking around. "Machin's around here somewhere. We just need to find him."

"Or, maybe, I've found you," a voice said, and they both turned around to spot Anarky standing there.

"Stop this, Machin," Batman said, walking up to him.

"Stop what?"

"The chaos you have caused."

"I'm making Gotham a better place," he said, holding his arms out.

"You're destroying Gotham, and I'm going to bring you in."

More men busted into the room, and Robin began to fight them while Batman worked on Anarky, trying to take the man down as he did so.

"You can not stop me!" he cried, shortly before he was taken down by Batman. Once Anarky was subdued, he turned his attention to the henchmen that Robin was fighting against.

"Are you ok?" Batman asked Robin, once all of the men were down.

"I'm fine," Robin breathed out, flipping his staff in his hand.

Batman sent a message to Gordon, and waited for the car to show up before he and Robin vanished from the building. Appearing on the building on the other side of the street, they watched as the police took Machin and his henchmen out of the building and into the police cars.

"Come on, we need to find Batgirl and Nightwing. I can't get ahold of them on their comms unit."

Robin nodded, before they both jumped down to the Batmobile. Setting the tracker in Nightwing's suit, they raced off towards the destination, spotting the duo taking down the few remaining men.

"Batman," Batgirl breathed out, once her man was taken down.

"How are you both holding up?" he asked, looking between them.

"We're good," Nightwing said, walking up next to her. "Is it over?"

"Dent wasn't behind it," he told them, watching as they both looked up in confusion. "He just got involved with it."

"Then who was behind it?" Batgirl asked.

"Anarky," he said, watching as Nightwing dropped his head. "Anarky had this all planned."

"I should have known," he said.

"They're both in G.C.P.D. custody. Members of the Justice League, alongside G.C.P.D., are rounding up protesters. It's going to be a long night, but it's over."

"Good," Batgirl said, letting out an exhausted sigh. She sat down on the roof, and Nighwing sat next to her, still holding on to his side.

"I want you both to go home. I have some unfinished business, then Robin and I will be there."

They nodded, and watched as Batman and Robin disappeared out of sight. Stretching her arms over her head, she looked over at Nightwing, who was looking up at the sky.

"I can't believe it's finally over," she said, sounding exhausted as she looked down at the city. He looked at her before he stood up, walked up to her, helped her up and placed his hands on her shoulders, shivers flowing through him when she reached up and placed her hands on his.

"Babs, we need to get you home," he said, looking at how exhausted she was. "If your dad comes home and finds out you're not there….."

"I know," she replied tiredly, and they both grappled back down. She then hopped onto her bike. He hopped onto his own.

"I'll follow you, make sure you get home ok."

She didn't reply, but she started up her bike and drove off. He followed behind her, and they drove in silence until they reached her apartment building, climbing the fire escape to her apartment. She closed it behind him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him, looking down at his wound.

"I'm fine," he replied, pressing his hand to the wound. "I'll have Alfred look at it when I get home."

"Let me see it," she said, moving towards him. She bent down and removed the wrappings, grimacing slightly at the wound.

"It doesn't look good at all."

"I'll be ok," he whispered, watching as she stood back up.

"Wait here," she said, before standing up. He waited for a minute before she returned with a first-aid kit.

"Think I'll live?" he joked, watching as she let out a laugh.

"You'll be just fine," she replied with an eyeroll. He grinned at her.

"Are you sure?"

"You know, I could leave this alone," she said, pretending to close the box.

"No, no, carry on," he replied, watching as she playfully rolled her eyes again. She then pressed her lips together.

"You know, it would be a lot easier without your suit on."

He looked down at her before reaching to unzip his suit, peeling it down to his waist. She swallowed, her mouth going dry as she looked at him.

"How do you feel?" she asked, rewrapping Dick's side while trying to ignore his abs. He shrugged.

"It's sore, but I've had worse."

She didn't reply, but continued to change his wraps. Once she finished, he looked down, impressed by her work.

"Thanks."

"No problem," she replied, putting the supplies away. He pressed his lips together.

"Are you ready to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?" she asked, refusing to look at him. He reached down and grabbed for her hand.

"You know what."

She let out a soft sigh and dropped her head, and an awkward silence fell between them. She then stood up and turned her back to him.

"I broke up with David."

"What?" he asked in shock, looking up at her. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"We broke up."

"When?"

"A few days ago."

"Why? You were happy with him."

She dropped her head, and he gently walked up to her and placed his hands on her arms, consoling her.

"Babs."

"I was happy with him, but I didn't like him as much as I thought I did," she whispered, looking back up at him.

"You didn't?" he asked, heart beating in his chest. She shook her head.

"No," she whispered, looking up at him. "There's…..someone else."

"Yeah?" he asked, heart pounding in his chest. She reached up and pressed her hand to his cheek.

"Yeah," she whispered once again, before leaning up to press their lips together.

His hands settled on her waist, and hers wrapped around his neck, pulling closer to each other as they did so. The kiss was fast, passionate, everything both of them expected and more.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, and he pressed their heads together, both of their breathings irregular.

"How long, Babs?" he breathed out.

"Since I found out you were Robin," she breathed back, pressing her hand to his cheek. "You?"

"The night Deathstroke attacked me."

"That's why you've been acting weird around me," she said, looking up at him. He nodded.

"I like you, Babs."

"I like you, too, Dick," she whispered back, before he leaned down to press their lips together once again.

"I should be going," he said, looking at the time. He then pulled his suit back up and rezipped it. "Can I come by tomorrow? We can talk some more?"

"I would like that," she said, running her fingertips across his cheek. He smiled down at her.

"Get some rest, ok? You look exhausted."

"You, too, big head," she replied with a laugh, shoving him slightly. "Have Alfred check your wound, ok?"

"Will do," he said, giving her another kiss. "Goodnight, Babs."

"Goodnight, Dick," she whispered, before he opened the window and climbed back out. She walked over and shut it, closed the blinds and pressed herself against the wall, heart fluttering in her chest.

* * *

"Robin, wait for me in the Batmobile," Batman ordered, and Robin nodded before grappling down below. Once he was out of sight, Batman turned around.

"Selena," he said quietly, watching as the figure above jumped down to meet him.

"Bruce."

"Thanks for your help tonight," he said softly, watching as she looked up in surprise at him. "Your intel provided us an early lead."

"Did you just thank me?" she asked, watching as he gave her a look. "I'm honored. I know how rare that is."

"Are you done yet?" he asked, watching as a smirk filled her face.

"Is that any way to talk to me?" she asked, stroking her fingers down his chest. He looked down at her fingers.

"Thanks for your help tonight," he repeated, as her fingers traced the symbol on his chest.

"Anytime, handsome," she said, continuing to trace the symbol.

An awkward silence fell between them, and her hands moved from his chest up to his face. Pressing them to the mask, her thumbs traced his cheek.

"Selena-" he started, before she pressed her finger against his lips.

She leaned up and pressed their lips together, softly and slowly. Batman kissed her back, gently placing his hands on her waist as he did so.

He pulled away a minute later.

"Guess I'll see you around, Bat," she said, before she disappeared. He stared at the area for a minute before turning to jump down to the Batmobile.

* * *

Dick woke the next morning, heart pounding in his chest as he thought about the night before. A smile forming on his lips, he got out of his bed and stretched, every muscle in his body hurting after the events the night before.

Walking to his bathroom, he took a shower, letting the warm water wash down his body to relax his muscles. Once he finished up, he wrapped a towel around his waist and brushed his teeth, mind racing.

He and Barbara may have gotten together last night.

After he finished brushing his teeth, he got dressed and laid back down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Master Richard," Alfred said, walking into his bedroom, "there is a guest waiting for you outside near the pond."

Dick furrowed his brow before he grabbed for his coat and followed Alfred down the stairs. He then opened the back door and walked outside, spotting the person immediately.

"Babs," he said, smiling softly at her once she stood up from the bench. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing."

"I wanted to talk to you," she said, placing her hands on his arms.

"We can talk inside. Where it's warm," he joked, watching as she smirked.

"It's more special out here. This is where we became friends."

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head.

"And, I thought, maybe this is the place where we could become more than friends."

"You've thought about it, then?" he asked, walking up to her. She nodded, before dropping her head.

"There's just one thing that scares me, Dick."

"What is it?" he whispered, brushing his finger against her cheek.

"What if we break up?" she asked, breaking away from him to wrap her arms around herself. "You're my best friend. I couldn't stand it if I lost you."

There was an awkward silence before he finally walked back up to her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed their lips together. Relaxing in his arms, she wrapped her own around his neck and fell into the kiss, wanting to savor it for as long as she could.

He pulled away a few minutes later.

"Babs," he whispered, pressing her hands to the sides of her face, "listen to me. We will work. I know we will. Even if we don't, we will still be friends. We'll never stop being friends. I couldn't stand it if I lost you, either."

"You mean that?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck again. He nodded.

"I'm not losing you, Babs, no matter what happens."

A smile lit up her face, and she pressed their lips together once again, feeling the happiest she's ever felt in her entire life.

* * *

"That's not how I wanted your first mission to go," Bruce said, hanging his cape against the back of the chair. Tim walked up to him. "None of the less, great job."

"You mean that?" Tim asked, watching as Bruce nodded.

"There will be times when you're put into a situation you can't control. I thought I had control of that situation with Selina's intel, but we were both wrong. With the assistance of the Justice League, Dick's team, G.C.P.D, and Catwoman, we were able to take back the city before it became too widespread."

Tim didn't reply, and Bruce sat down at his chair and started typing on his computer. There was an awkward silence before Tim finally spoke.

"I thought we worked pretty well together."

Bruce turned his head towards him, and after a minute he finally nodded before standing back up.

"I think we did, too."

He turned and disappeared up the stairs. Tim looked down before he turned and started walking the cave, stopping at the glass case that held Jason's uniform. He stared up at it for a few minutes before he finally spoke.

"I think you'd be proud of what we've done," he said to the glass. "I hope I'm making you proud."

With one final look at the suit, he turned and followed Bruce up the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile…**_

The woman walked through the ancient civilization, her heels stomping against the stone floor as she moved. Holding a file against her arm, she continued to walk until she found the person she was looking for.

"Ducra," Talia said, bowing to her.

"Talia."

"How is he, Ducra?"

"He's getting better," Ducra said, walking away. Talia followed beside her. "He's fast, strong, powerful. Everyday he's getting better, but that anger keeps him in trouble."

They both watched down below as the young man ran across the battlefield, holding a shield with one arm while holding a sword with the other. He was defending himself against his attackers.

"Interesting. Do you mind if I speak with him?"

"He's right down there," she said, pointing down below to the training session currently going on. "All yours."

"Thank you," she said, bowing to the woman once again. Once she turned away from her, she walked down the stairs, watching the training session as it continued on.

"You're doing well, Jason," one of the men said, stopping the fighting. "Take a break. It looks like you have a visitor."

He turned away from the man and towards Talia, watching as she walked up to him.

"Hello, Jason."

"Hello, Talia," he replied, bowing to her.

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?"

He nodded, watching as she gently placed her hand on his back and led him away. Once they were in a private room, she sat them down.

"How are you?"

"Good," he replied, looking over at her. "I'm doing well here."

"That's what Ducra tells me."

Silence fell between them, and Jason rubbed his hands together, waiting for Talia to continue talking. When she was still quiet a minute later, he decided to ask.

"Not to be rude, Talia, but I get the feeling you came here to tell me something."

She dropped her head before reaching over to grab for his hands. He immediately knew that something was wrong.

"Jason, I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it."

"What is it?" he whispered, heart pounding in his chest.

She let go out of his hands and pulled the file out, giving it to him. He furrowed his brow as he looked at it before he grabbed hold of it, ripping it open. He then pulled the contents out, anger crossing his face.

"What is this?"

"These pictures were taken a few days ago. It was the first sighting of…..of Robin."

He bit his cheek, anger growing on his face as he looked through the pictures. She waited a minute.

"Are you ok?" she whispered, watching as he threw down the pictures.

"Just fine," he replied through gritted teeth.

Joker was still alive, and there was a new Robin running in the streets. Batman was going to pay.


	26. Clues

**I'm sorry about the long wait! I had some writer's block with this chapter. I hope you all enjoy! :)**

* * *

"You're acting weird," Tim observed, once he and Dick arrived at Gotham Academy. Dick gave him a sideways glance.

"What do you mean?"

"You're all giddy," he replied, observing him.

"I am not," Dick replied back, refusing to look at the younger one.

Tim didn't reply, but Dick's mind began to wander as he thought about Tim's comment. Yes, he was all giddy. Who could blame him?

He had gotten together with Barbara yesterday.

He still couldn't believe it. His beautiful, smart best friend for nearly ten years became his girlfriend yesterday. After years of everyone accusing them of being together, they finally were.

He was the happiest he had felt in a very long time.

"You're giddy again," Tim said, and Dick let out a little laugh

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Tim didn't reply, and the silence continued until they finally arrived at Gotham Academy. They both got out of Dick's car and walked inside, sitting down in the Entrance Hall once they did so.

"How are you doing on your History project?"

"It's done," Tim replied.

"Already?"

"Yup."

"Nice," he said, clapping the younger one's shoulder.

"I should probably be going. I have a science test first thing."

"See you at lunch," Dick said, watching as Tim stood up, waved goodbye and walked away. He stretched his arms over his head and looked around, wondering where Barbara was at.

As anxious as he was to see her, he couldn't wait for the minute she walked through those doors.

"Good morning," Barbara said, smiling at him once she walked up to him. He threw her one back.

"Morning."

He patted the seat, and she sat next to him, pulling a book from her bookbag after she did so. Silence fell between them for a few moments before she finally spoke.

"I thought a lot about us last night."

"Me, too," he replied, running his hand through his hair nervously.

"I'm really happy about this."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispered, and he threw her a grin

"So, are you interested in a date tomorrow night?"

She put her finger to her chin and tapped it, taunting him as she fake-thought about it. She then smiled.

"I can't wait to see what you have planned."

The bell rang, and they both stood up. She then turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek, lingering for a second.

"See you at lunch, Grayson."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," Tim said, stepping out of Dick's car.

"Anytime, kid."

"Are you staying, Tim?" Barbara asked, stepping out of her own car. He shook his head.

"My parents want me back home as soon as possible. See you later."

"Bye, Tim," they both echoed, watching as he waved goodbye before taking off. Once he was out of sight, Barbara turned and wrapped her arms around Dick's neck.

"Hmm, it's a beautiful day outside. We're alone. Whatever should we do?"

He smirked, watching as she lifted her head up in thinking mode. He then brought it back down and pressed their lips together.

"Not what I had in mind," she joked, and he chuckled as he kissed her head.

"Want to take a walk around the pond?" he asked, and she nodded, grabbing hold of his hand. They slowly walked around towards the pond, enjoying both the company and the beautiful, sunny day.

"I'm really looking forward to our date," she said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So am I," he replied back, kissing the top of her head. She then tugged on his hand.

"Come on!"

"Where?" he asked, following behind her as she dragged him towards the pool. She then threw her flip-flops off, sat down on the ledge, and placed her feet into the pool.

"That's probably a little cold."

"Come on, chicken," she said, patting the ground next to her. He shook his head, but took his socks and shoes off and sat down next to her, placing his feet into the water as well.

"Summer's close," she said, looking up at the sky.

"Yeah, it is," he replied, looking at her. She dropped her head back down and met his gaze.

"I really can't wait for tomorrow."

"Me, either," he said, and she threw him a smile before leaning over to press their lips together.

* * *

"What do you think?" Dick asked Tim, turning to face the kid who's like a brother to him. Tim looked over him.

"You look nice."

"Thanks," he said, grabbing for his wallet. "Are you going to hang out for a while?"

"Not sure," he replied with a shrug.

"You're more than welcome to. I need to go. Catch you later."

"Bye, Dick."

Dick walked down the stairs and out to the garage, his nerves getting the best of him as he started up his car. He then began to drive off to the city, eager for his night with Barbara.

Once he arrived at her apartment, he took a deep breath before climbing the stairs, knocking on her door once he arrived. He waited for a minute before it opened, and his breath caught in his throat.

She was beautiful.

"Hi," she said, smiling up at him.

"Hi," he replied, unable to formulate any more words. She then grabbed for her purse. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, beaming as she looked up at him. She turned around, and his throat went dry. "I'm leaving, dad."

"Have a great night, pumpkin," he said, giving her a hug. She walked past Dick, and Jim stopped him before he could follow after her.

"Hello, Mr. Gordon."

"Hello, Dick. Make sure you have my daughter home on time."

"Of course, sir," he said, his voice shaking. Barbara walked back up to them.

"Dad," she said, watching as he smiled at her.

"Just saying hello, hun. Enjoy your night."

"We will," she said, grabbing hold of Dick's hand. She then pulled him away from her apartment. "I'm sorry. Dad is very protective of me."

"Can't say I blame him," Dick replied, and she looked up at him.

"This is so weird," she said, a smile lighting up her face as she tucked a piece of her hair back behind her ear.

"Why's that?" he asked softly, turning to face her.

"After nearly ten years of being best friends, we're going on our first date."

He smiled at her before he leaned down and pressed their lips together. He pulled away a minute later.

"Ready to go, Gordon?"

"Always, Grayson," she said, and he grabbed hold of her hand and led her to his car.

The drive to the restaurant was awkward, with both of them unsure of what to say to each other. Once they finally arrived, they walked inside, and he went to talk to the hostess.

"You made a reservation?" she asked in surprise, watching as he threw her a smile.

"I wanted this night to be perfect."

She looked up at him and smiled, before they followed the hostess to their table. He helped her take her coat off and pulled her seat out before sitting down opposite of her.

"This place is so beautiful," she said, taking a look around.

"I thought you would like it."

"What else does the famous Richard Grayson have planned for tonight?" she asked, placing her hands underneath her chin. He smiled.

"After dinner I plan on taking you to the movie theater."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Can't wait," she said, and his heart fluttered in his chest.

* * *

"Good to know that you picked a restaurant right down the street from the movie theater," she joked, and he let out a laugh in response.

"Hope you don't mind walking."

"No. It feels good out tonight."

He grabbed hold of her hand, and they began to walk to the theater slowly and in silence, enjoying the time with each other. Once they were halfway there, they immediately stopped.

"Help!"

They both looked at each other before sprinting off into the dark alley. Quickly pulling their clothes off, they put their masks on and took off in the direction of the screaming, finding a man getting attacked by another man. Nodding to each other, they ran around the corner and fought the man off, Nightwing finishing him off while Batgirl called the police. Once the man was down, they quickly grabbed for their bags of clothes and grappled up to the top of the nearest building.

"This is not how I wanted our first date to go," he finally said, and a smirk filled her face.

"Are you kidding? With the life we live, this is _exactly_ how I expected it to go."

He smiled at her before looking back down at the street below. She walked up next to him and grabbed hold of his hand, laying her head on his shoulder.

"It's beautiful out here tonight," she said, looking up at the stars. He followed her lead. "The moon and the stars are just lighting up the sky."

"Yeah," he whispered, and she turned to face him.

"Really romantic," she whispered back, and he ran the back of his fingers against her cheek before pressing their lips together.

He pulled away a few minutes later, when their scanners began to go off.

"Heroes never sleep," she said, watching as he pressed his lips together.

"Let's go," he replied, and they began to grapple off towards the next location.

* * *

"We should probably get you home. I don't think your father would be too happy with me if you were late," Dick said, watching as she looked over at him.

She laughed, but nodded in agreement. Putting their civilian clothes back on, he led her back to his car and drove her back to her apartment. He walked her up to her apartment.

"I'm sorry our date got interrupted," he told her, and she looked over at him.

"I had a great time," she said, stopping outside of her door.

"So did I," he replied, stopping in front of her.

"Even though our date got interrupted, it was still an amazing night. Don't let that bother you, ok? The other lives always come first." He nodded. "Thank you for the amazing night."

She stood up on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He then pressed his hands on her face and kissed her softly, treasuring the moment.

"Good night, Babs," he said, pulling away.

"Good night, Dick," she whispered back, before turning to walk into her apartment. His smile never left his face as he walked away from her apartment door and back down to his car.

He finally pulled into his driveway and parked his car, the smile not leaving his face as he did so. Walking into the manor, he immediately walked into the study and down to the cave, spotting someone down there.

"Tim? What are you doing here?" he asked, taking off his jacket. He then threw it on the back of the chair.

"Thought I'd get some practice in before we go out tonight," he replied, lowering his staff. "So, how was your date with Barbara?"

"I had a really great night, actually," Dick said, sitting down in the chair. "Barbara and I just clicked."

"Isn't that sweet," Tim replied, dodging an attack from the dummy. Dick gave him a look.

"Avoid the right."

"What?" he asked, before getting hit by the dummy. Dick pressed his lips together.

"Told you."

"Shut up," Tim replied, grabbing hold of his side. "When are you going to go on another date?"

"Next weekend."

Tim nodded, fighting with the dummy again. Dick sat there and watched him as he continued his training, extremely impressed with what Tim had been able to do since he fought his way into the Robin role.

* * *

"Finally home," Dick said, throwing his backpack to the living room floor as he and Barbara walked into the room. She shook her head.

"Complainer."

"But school was so long today," he complained, once she sat down on the couch. She threw him a smile.

"You're complaining again."

"It was long," he replied, sitting down next to her. She rolled her eyes.

"Lay your head down," she said, watching as he threw her a smile before laying his head down on her lap. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, watching as he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, the stress from the day melting away the moment she touched his hair. "Feel good?"

"Feels amazing," he replied, completely relaxed as she rubbed at his head. She continued for a few minutes before his eyes finally popped back open, smiling up at her.

"What?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Why did we wait so long?" he asked, watching as her eyes furrowed in confusion. "We've been best friends for ten years. How did it take us so long to figure it out?"

"We're stubborn," she laughed, watching as he smiled at her.

"Maybe that's why we work so well."

"Maybe," she said quietly, her hand paused in his hair. "This newest mission of yours…."

"What about it?"

"I'm worried," she whispered, and he sat up, staring her in the face. "This sounds too dangerous, Dick."

"We'll be ok," he said, placing his hands on the sides of her face. "Trust me, we've had our share of dangerous missions. If Bruce didn't think we could do it, he wouldn't let us do it."

She stood up, and he followed behind her, placing his hands on her arms. He then moved them and wrapped them around her waist, placing a kiss on her head.

"What's really bothering you?" he asked, and a moment of silence fell between them as he waited for her response.

"I don't know," she replied, placing her hands on top of his. "I really don't know."

He turned her around, pressed her hands to her cheeks, and pressed their lips together, slowly and softly. She immediately relaxed in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she did so. When he pulled away, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Babs, I worry every time we put our suits on," he whispered in her ear, and she felt her eyes begin to water. "We've lost Jason. It changed everything."

She nodded into his chest, and he kissed her head again, now understanding what was going through her mind. They stood in silence, wrapped up in each other's arms.

She didn't want to be anywhere else.

"Please be careful," she whispered, and he nodded, kissing her forehead.

"I will be, Barb."

* * *

"We all know what we need to do," Nightwing said, looking amongst his teammates. "Batman chose us for this mission, and we'll get what we need to get."

Superboy, Miss. Martian, Zatanna and Rocket nodded, and Nightwing dismissed them. They all walked away, and he let out a deep breath, hoping this mission would go easier than expected.

He just wished Bruce had assigned Barbara to this case as well.

Walking away from the group, he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, putting his face into his hands.

That's when he felt hands slide onto his shoulders and give them a gentle squeeze.

"Babs," he said quietly, turning his head to face her. She threw him a smile. "I didn't think you were going to come here."

"I wanted to see you before you left."

He stood up, placed his hands on her waist, and pressed their lips together, closing his eyes as her arms wrapped around his neck.

He pulled away a minute later.

"Hey, Wonder Boy, I thought we were keeping this quiet?" she asked, a smirk filling her face. He smiled.

"We are. I just wanted to kiss you."

"How sweet," she whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. "You do know that, if someone catches us, they'll figure out your identity, right?"

"That's why no one's around," he smirked, and she playfully rolled her eyes before withdrawing her arms.

"Good luck today."

"Thanks. What do you have planned?"

"I'm going to work with Robin a little more. See how he's doing, you know?"

"He'll like that."

"Nightwing, we need to go," Miss. Martian said, and he nodded before turning back to Barbara.

"You better get going."

"Yeah," he said, placing his hand on her arm. "I'll see you later."

She nodded, and he removed his hand from her arm and followed M'gann to the bioship. Once they were ready to go, she started up the bioship and they drove off, Nightwing lost in thought as he stared out the window.

He felt like he had been a different person since he and Barbara got together.

Just as she was extremely concerned for him, he was for her. When they would go out on missions, he wanted to be near her and make sure she was ok.

Clearly, she was feeling the same way for him. She didn't want him to go on this mission without her.

"You're clearly lost in thought," Zatanna said, breaking his thoughts. He turned to her.

"Just a lot on my mind."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"No," he said softly, turning to face her.

"Well, whatever it is, clearly has your mind in overdrive."

He shrugged, unsure of how to respond to her. She gave him a look but didn't say anything back in response. She gave him a look but didn't question it any further.

One the bioship finally landed, they all got out and surveyed the area, wondering how they were going to break in to the building without being noticed.

"Nightwing, you're the stealthy one here," Superboy said, looking around. "What are you thinking?"

Nightwing narrowed his eyes, looking around before pulling out his grapnel gun. Using it, he grappled up to the tree and took another look around, spotting an opening they may be able to take advantage of. Quickly climbing back down, he met back up with his teammates.

"There's an opening near the top of the building, but I don't think we should all go in together."

"I'll go with you," M'gann said, turning to him. "Connor, Rocket, and Zatanna can be lookout. We'll go in, get what we need, and get out."

"M'gann," Connor said, walking towards her.

"We'll be ok," she said, smiling at Nightwing. "Keep an eye out, and alert us to any trouble."

He finally nodded, and Nightwing walked up to M'gann, waiting for her cue. Once she gave him a head nod, he pulled his grapnel back out and followed after her, breaking into the opening he saw moments ago.

Once he was through, he immediately took down the guard that was nearby and broke into the office, plugging his gauntlet into the computer.

He had just hoped Batman's hunch was right, and the intel they needed was here.

"Coast is still clear," M'gann said, looking through the crack in the door.

"Shouldn't be too much longer," Nigthwing said, typing on the keyboard. "I just need to get past these firewalls."

He continued typing, and she looked out the crack of the door, trying to alert Nightwing if any trouble comes their way. After another minute he was able to crack through and get into the system.

But not without an alarm going off first.

"What happened?" M'gann asked, looking over at him in worry.

"I don't know," he whispered, frantically typing away. "Damn it, I'm locked out of the system!"

"Nightwing, we need to go!"

"We don't have the intel!" he told her back, watching as she shook her head.

"We're not going to get it now. They know we're here."

"We can't leave without it."

"Nightwing, we have to go," she said slowly, watching as enemies began to rush to the door. She quickly closed it and locked it. He let out a growl.

Unplugging his gauntlet, he moved beside her and watched as the enemies broke down the door, helping her fight them off. The roof above them caved in, and Superboy, Rocket, and Zatanna appeared, all three looking slightly worn down.

"We tried to hold them off," Zatanna told Nightwing and M'gann. "There was more than we expected."

"Something went wrong," Nightwing said, taking down his man. "It wouldn't let me in."

"I think they knew we were coming," Superboy replied, covering Nightwing's back.

"We should go," M'gann repeated, helping Zatanna. She nodded in agreement.

"Nightwing, let's go."

He growled again, but nodded in agreement. Quickly taking down the men, they rushed back to the bioship and escaped, Nightwing mad at himself for allowing this to happen.

He didn't talk to anyone until they landed back at the cave. Then, he went straight to the person he wanted to talk to most.

"Hey," she said, standing up when he walked into the room. She noticed that something was wrong. "What's the matter?"

"I messed up," he said, giving her a hug. She hugged him back.

"What happened?"

"I tried to get the information we needed, but I somehow alerted them that we were there. Man, did I wish you were there. You're better at this than me."

"I'm sure you did everything right," she said, rubbing his back. "Sometimes, these things happen."

He didn't reply, but he held on to her tightly, calming down in the presence of her arms. After a few minutes he pulled away.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, throwing him a smile. Somehow, he was able to throw her one back.

He was so happy in this relationship.

* * *

"Hello, Tim," Barbara said, meeting him in the driveway.

"Hi, Babs!"

"Any idea why Bruce called us?"

He shook his head, following her into the mansion. They met with Dick in the study.

"Hi, Hunk Wonder," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck to give him a kiss.

"Gross," Tim joked, moving the hands of the clock to open the passageway. They both laughed as they followed behind him.

"Don't worry, Tim. Someday you'll find a girl, too," Dick joked back, rubbing the younger one's hair. Tim swatted his hand away.

"Be nice," she said, pointing her finger at her boyfriend.

All three of them sat down at the table, watching as Bruce walked up to them holding something in his hands. He waited for a few minutes before he began to talk.

"Last night, the G.C.P.D. received this from an unknown source," he said, handing his protégés an envelope. Barbara took it and took the contents out.

"Riddles?" Dick asked, once she handed them to him.

"This is different," Bruce said. "This isn't a riddle. This is a clue someone left behind."

"So, it's not Riddler?" Tim asked quietly, looking over at him.

"No. I've dealt with Riddler for years now. This isn't Riddler's work."

"Then, who's is it?"

"Someone similar to Nygma. Someone who likes to leave behind clues for me to follow."

"This is so different," Dick said, looking at it.

Bruce looked through the clues, his mind reeling as he thought about it. Putting it together in his mind, he rearranged the clue, spelling out the letters A.B.

"A.B.?" Tim asked in confusion.

"Initials. Someone's initials," Dick said.

Bruce put the initials into the computer, watching as a list of names showed up. Pressing his hand to his chin, he rubbed it.

"It could be any one of them."

"There's more," Barbara said, as she and Dick looked over the clues. "The word "Cluemaster" has appeared multiple times, it's just hard to see."

"Cluemaster?" Batman said.

"There's nothing else," she sighed out. "That's all that was left in this clue."

Bruce rubbed his forehead, trying to figure it out in his mind. Somehow, there was still a piece of the puzzle missing. A piece they couldn't figure out.

Dick pressed his finger up to his ear, his brow furrowed in concentration as he did so. He then looked up at Bruce.

"Something's happening in Gotham. Police are moving in."

"Let's go assist," he replied, and they all drove off towards the city to the location. When they arrived, they spotted several officers armed and waiting outside the door.

"It looks like a hostage situation," Batman said, looking around. "We've got to get in there."

"Through a window might be our best option, boss," Nightwing said, and Batman nodded in agreement. Taking off, they looked around the building for a window to break.

But they spotted one already broken.

"Someone else is in there," Batgirl said, and Batman snuck through the broken window and looked around before calling everyone else in. They quietly walked around, looking for any signs of trouble.

"Batgirl, Nightwing, I want you both to take that entrance over there. Communicate through comms what you see. Robin, follow me."

Robin nodded and followed behind his mentor, staff at the ready in case it was needed. They continued to look around, curious as there was still no word from Nightwing or Batgirl.

"Someone else has broken in here. We need to figure out who it is."

Robin nodded in agreement, using his night vision to look around. Nothing had shown up yet, and his mind went into overdrive trying to figure out who could have broken in.

That's when he was hit from someone.

Quickly turning around, he spotted someone running back towards the window. He began to chase after the person, trying to get answers.

He needed answers.

Once they were out of the window and to the roof opposite the building, she turned around and looked at him, watching as he moved his feet to avoid hitting her. He fell to the ground, and a small laugh escaped her lips.

Robin looked up, his brow furrowing in confusion as he saw the person who landed the punch. The woman was dressed in all purple, with a black mask covering her mouth.

His heart immediately fluttered in his chest.

"W-Who are you?"

"My name is The Spoiler."


	27. The Spoiler

"You must be the famous Robin," Spoiler said, holding her hand out to help him up. "You're cuter than I pictured."

"Spoiler, huh?" he asked, dusting off his suit. "What are you doing out here?"

"Now that's personal information," she replied, placing her hands on her hips. "Can I ask why you're following me?"

"You hit me, then fled," he said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"So?"

"So, I generally go after people who hit me," he replied, crossing his arms.

"If I continue to hit you, you'll keep coming after me?" she asked, and he detected a hint of flirtation in her voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sightseeing."

"Not the answer I'm looking for."

"Tell you what, Robin," she said, walking up to him. "How about we go our separate ways, and we don't have to find out about each other. Agreed?"

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Okay, cutie, then this is where I leave you," she said, before turning to run off the top of the building. Robin followed after her, but was left in amazement as she had disappeared.

' _Wow.'_

"Robin?" Batman said through the comms unit, interrupting the young man's thoughts.

"I'm here."

"Where did you go?" Batman asked, and Robin sensed a worried tone in his voice.

' _Jason.'_

"I went after the girl."

"Girl?"

"The person who hit me was a girl dressed in purple. She calls her The Spoiler."

"Any idea what she was doing here?"

"None. When I confronted her about it, she disappeared."

"I'll look into it," he said, as though deep in through. "Whoever this Cluemaster is, he isn't here. We got the hostages free, but none of the takers were wanting to talk."

"Back to square one, then," Robin said, looking up at the moon.

"Not necessarily. Batgirl found another clue. We need to look into it."

"Agreed," he replied, dropping his head once again.

"Get back here."

"Yes, sir," he said, before following his footsteps back to the building. Climbing back through the window, he looked around for signs of Batman before he ran into Batgirl and Nightwing.

"Robin!" Batgirl said, giving him a hug the second she saw him.

"I'm sorry. I was so determined to go after her."

"I'm just glad you're ok," she said, placing her hands on his cheeks.

"Who was she?" Nightwing asked, furrowing his brow.

"I have no idea," Robin replied. "She came out of nowhere."

"She was here for a reason," Batman said, walking up to them. "We need to figure out what that reason and put a stop to it."

"There's a connection there," Barbara said, squinting her eyes in concentration. "She magically shows up when Cluemaster does? She's involved somehow."

"We'll set a plan, and figure out what Spoiler is up to."

* * *

"This is nice," Barbara said, her head resting on Dick's shoulder as they watched the movie. He smiled down at her.

"Kind of reminds me of our sleepovers."

She laughed, nodding her head in agreement. "I guess it does."

She reached over and grabbed for the popcorn, grabbing a handful of it. Taking bites, she continued to watch the screen.

"I love this movie."

"Reminds me of you," Dick said, playing with her hair. She raised an eyebrow as she looked up at him.

"How?"

"Lora Croft is a badass who doesn't take anything."

"That's what you think of me, huh?" she asked, a smile on her lips. He grinned.

"I think so much of you."

"Like what?" she asked, looking up at him. He pretended he was deep in thought.

"I think you're beautiful," he replied, skimming his fingers against her face. "I think you're smart, clever, funny. I think you're amazing. You're my best friend, my girlfriend, and an amazing asskicker."

She laughed, watching as he smiled down at her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed their lips together, loving what he had just said about her.

She laid backwards until they were stretched out on the couch.

"Hey," she said, breaking away a minute later, "you're very adorable, by the way."

"Yeah?" he asked, grinning down at her.

"Yeah," she laughed back, nodding her head. He smiled down at her, pressing kisses over her face.

"Ahem."

They quickly sat up from the couch, looking over at Alfred, who was standing there with a stern look on his face. Blushing, they looked down.

"I trust I can continue with other things."

"Yes, Alfred, sorry," Barbara said, her face as red as her hair. He gave them another look before walking out of the room. Dick turned to her, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?"

"You're as red as your hair, Gordon!"

"Shut up!" she said, throwing the couch pillow at him. He laughed, wrapping his arm around her so she could lay next to him with her head on his shoulder.

"You made me miss part of the movie."

"Shut up and watch," she laughed, hitting his head with the pillow again. Chuckling, he squeezed her shoulder as she rested her head on his shoulder, watching the movie.

He was so happy.

* * *

Barbara drove through the path to Wayne Manor, her windows down as she enjoyed the warm spring day. Her music turned down quietly, she continued her drive, her mind focused on her date with Dick last night.

A smile couldn't get off of her face.

Pulling into the driveway, she spotted Dick sitting outside. He smiled at her once she drove by.

"Hey," she said, once she parked her car and got out. He walked up to her.

"Afternoon, Babs."

"Any idea why Bruce called this meeting?" she asked, grabbing hold of his hand. He shook his head.

"None. Tim's inside watching TV."

"Better go get him," she said with a smile, following him into the manor. They grabbed Tim from the living room and walked down to the cave, spotting Bruce standing at the computer.

"What's going on, Bruce?" Dick asked, pulling Barbara's chair out for her, something that didn't go unnoticed by Bruce.

"I've figured out the identity of The Spoiler."

"Really?" Tim asked, completely curious. Dick and Barbara threw him a sideways glance.

"Her name is Stephanie Brown," Bruce said, watching as everyone looked up. "She's the daughter of Arthur Brown, The Cluemaster."

"So, his own daughter is trying to stop him from committing crimes?" Barbara asked, watching as Bruce nodded.

"She dresses up as The Spoiler, in an attempt to show her father that she will spoil his attempts of law-breaking."

"Clever," Dick said, leaning back in his seat.

"But dangerous," Barbara said, leaning forward. "She may have no training, and she's out there doing what we're doing."

"You should have seen her," Tim said, looking at the screen. "She looked so…determined. Like nothing in the world could stop her from doing what she felt best."

"That's where we need to step in," Bruce said, placing his fists onto the table as he leaned over them. "We need to find her and stop her before she gets hurt."

"I highly doubt she's been home lately," Dick said, dropping his head. "I doubt we can stop by and talk to her."

"Maybe not as Bats," Barbara said, leaning back in her seat. "But maybe we can go undercover and talk to her, somehow."

"Our main priority right now is to find Cluemaster. Stephanie will continue to go after her father until he's behind bars. That's how we'll find her."

* * *

Spoiler moved across the buildings, the wind and rain hitting her as she did so. Wanting to get to her destination as fast as possible, she continued on her trek, wanting for nothing to get in her way as she did so.

That's when she ran into someone and fell backwards. A smile came to her lips.

"So, we meet again, huh, cutie?" Spoiler asked, looking up at Robin.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," she replied, tilting her head.

"This isn't a game. You could get hurt out here."

"Don't worry about me."

"Spoiler, I know what you're doing."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're after the Cluemaster. He's something to you."

"He's a criminal. I have to stop him."

"Let us help you," Robin said, holding his hand out to her. She looked up at him. "We'll help you stop your father."

"You know?" she whispered, watching as he nodded.

"Yes, we know. Stephanie, let us help you."

She looked at him staring him eyes-to-mask. Her mouth then curved into a smile, and she grabbed for his hand, heart fluttering in her chest.

"Where do we start?" she asked softly.

"Let's go meet with Batman. He'll tell us where to start."

She nodded, and followed behind him, watching as he climbed onto a red bike. Her smile never left her as she climbed behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Lead the way, Robin."

He started up the bike and drove off, driving to the meeting point Batman had arranged. Once they arrived, he parked the bike. He got off, turning back around when she had yet to get off.

"Can you drive me around more often?"

"Let's go," he said, rolling his eyes. She let out a small laugh as she followed behind him, blushing slightly when he pulled her against him. Pulling his grapnel out, he held onto her tight and grappled up to the top of the building, meeting Batman, Batgirl and Nightwing.

"Spoiler," Batman said, walking up to her.

"Batman," she said in amazement, looking up at him.

"I don't know what Robin has said to you, but we are willing to help you stop your father."

"Do you have any leads on him?" she asked.

"We might have one," he said, turning away from her. "We were able to listen in on some of your father's henchmen. We know their next move."

"Have you seen your father lately?" Batgirl asked softly, watching as Spoiler shook her head.

"I haven't seen my father in days, actually."

"Do you know anything that might help us?"

"I wish I did," she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"We'll stop him," Robin said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Where do we start?"

"I have a few leads I want to check out," Batman said, pulling up his gauntlet. "We're going to split up. Nightwing, Batgirl, check out the first lead. Robin and Spoiler can check out the second lead. I'll go look at the third lead. Communicate through the comms unit if you find anything."

He reached into his belt and pulled something out before giving it to Spoiler. She looked over it before she put it into her ear.

"Keep in touch," he said, before he disappeared. Batgirl and Nightwing did as well. Robin turned to Spoiler.

"Ready to go?" he asked her, watching as she nodded.

"Lead the way, cutie."

He helped her back down from the building and they returned to his bike. Climbing onto it, they drove off towards the destination Batman assigned them to. Once they arrived, Robin started to inspect the building.

"What does Batman think is in here?" Spoiler asked, peeking her head in the window. He pulled her back.

"You don't know if anyone's in there. We don't want to make them aware just in case they are."

"How can you tell?" she asked, watching as he pulled something out of his utility belt. He then put it through the crack in the window and pulled his gauntlet out.

"It's clear," he said a minute later, closing his gauntlet down. She looked at him.

"You have some pretty cool toys." He didn't reply. "I think you and I work well together."

"Are you implying something?"

"Maybe this superhero gig will work out. I could work alongside you every day!"

He turned his head towards her and didn't say anything, but a smile was playing on the corners of his mouth.

"Let's go inside."

"Spoiler, wait!"

The second she opened the door, a clicking occurred. Quickly running up to her, he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her away to the ledge.

That's when the building blew.

"No!" Robin cried, watching as she slipped and fell. He jumped down after her and grabbed hold of her, pulling his grapnel out. Once it locked into place, he looked down at her.

"Hold on!" he said, holding onto the rope as tight as possible. He looked up, his mind going into overdrive as he thought how to get them out of the situation.

"I'm slipping!" she said, and he grabbed hold of her hand, using his right arm to hold them up. He then looked down at his belt and found his spare grapnel.

"Spoiler, listen to me!" he said, watching as she looked up at him. "Do you see my grapnel hanging off of my belt?"

"Yes!" she replied.

"I want you to grab hold of it, and use it to get to the ledge over there!"

"What about you?" she asked, her voice laced in worry.

"Don't worry about me. Get to the ledge."

She hesitated for a minute, before she grabbed hold of his grapnel, pointed it to the ledge and swung up. Once she safely landed, he started to climb up the rope, just about to reach the top when the rope snapped. He started to fall, but a pair of hands quickly grabbed his and pulled him up.

"I guess this makes us even," she joked, watching as he looked up at her.

"Ha ha."

She helped him stand up, watching as he dusted himself off. Looking over at the giant rip on his sleeve, she fingered it before turning around. He reached his hand out to her, but pulled it back, unsure of what she was thinking about.

"Tell me, Robin," she whispered, turning towards him. He lifted his head up. "Why do you put on the suit? Why did you become Robin?"

"I had to," he found himself admitting to her. "Batman needed me."

"Is that all you're going to tell me?" she asked, placing her hand on his cheek.

"It's all I can tell you."

She didn't reply, but she grabbed hold of her mask and pulled it down, revealing her mouth. He furrowed his brow in confusion, wondering what she was up to.

"Thank you for everything, Robin," she whispered, placing her hands on his cheeks. She then leaned in and pressed their lips together, slow and lingering. She then broke away. "I'll see you around."

He didn't reply, but watched sadly as she gave him a wave before disappearing. Blinking a few times, he watched the spot where she left before he finally moved.

He couldn't get Stephanie out of his mind.

* * *

"Disappointing that all the leads went cold," Barbara said, getting out of her car.

"Bruce has been looking all day. He'll get it figured out," he said, walking with her down the walkway to Tim's house.

"Tim said Stephanie took off. To him, it sounded like she was giving up."

"I don't think so," he replied, as they continued walking. "Someone like her isn't going to give up."

"She's like me," she said, suddenly stopping. "That's why I'm so worried, Dick. You know what I did before you and Bruce stopped me."

"You can't just go up and talk to her. Not without exposing your identity."

"I know, Dick, but it doesn't stop me from worrying about her."

They walked up to the front door and knocked on it, meeting Janet Drake once she opened it. She let them in, and they followed her to the living room.

"Happy Birthday, Tim!" Barbara said, giving him a hug.

"Thanks, Babs!" he said back happily, giving her a hug.

"Happy Birthday, Tim," Dick said, clapping his shoulder.

"Thank you both for coming!" he said, excitement laced in his voice. They smiled.

"We wouldn't miss this," she said.

"Party will be starting very soon," Janet said, before she and Jack walked back into the kitchen.

"Not a very big party," Dick said, looking around at the few people that were sitting in the living room with them.

"I didn't want a big party," Tim replied, standing up. "Let me show you to my friends."

He introduced them to his friends. After everyone was introduced to one another they all went their separate ways, talking to one another.

"I've never been to Tim's house," Barbara said, looking around. "It's really nice."

"I've been here a few times," Dick said, handing her a drink.

"Showoff," she joked, before taking a sip of her drink. He grinned at her.

"Don't be jealous, Babs."

"Uh huh," she replied, taking another sip.

The party continued on until Tim's parents finally called for Tim to blow out his candles. Everyone stood up and followed them into the kitchen, watching as Janet brought Tim's cake in front of him. She lit the candles, and everyone started to sing.

"Happy birthday, Tim!" everyone cheered, watching as the birthday boy blew out his candles.

"Fifteen. Where does the time go?" Jack asked, placing his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Dad," Tim sighed, but a smile lit up his face.

* * *

"I thought that was a nice party," Barbara said, as she and Dick walked around the pond at Wayne Manor. He nodded in agreement.

"Tim looked like he had a lot of fun."

"Yeah," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. She then led him from the pond to the edge of the woods.

"Why are we here?" he asked her, turning his head towards her.

"Hide and seek," she said.

" _You can't hide forever!" Barbara called out, looking around for her best friend. She looked behind every tree, every rock, every bush, growing more frustrated when she was unable to find him. "Dick!"_

" _Boo!" he said behind her, hanging from his legs from the tree. She jumped and turned around, slapping his chest when he began laughing._

" _That was mean!"_

" _I'm sorry, Babs," he replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes._

" _You're just lucky you're my best friend!"_

"Things have changed so much," he said, walking with her through the trees.

"We were so little," she laughed, running her thumb against his hand. She used her other hand to skim the tree.

"You're still little," he joked, grinning as she shoved him away. She then turned to him.

"You're right, though. Things have changed so much."

"I can officially call you my girlfriend," he said, running his fingers across her cheek. She smiled.

"Except when we're at the cave."

"Well, yeah," he replied, nodding his head. "Everywhere else, though."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, stood up and pressed their lips together, enjoying the beautiful day with her best friend and boyfriend.

Boyfriend. That was still hard to believe.

He pulled away and smiled at her, and she let out a laugh. He raised his eyebrows.

"What? My kissing that bad?"

"No, you goof," she said, raising her hand up to his lips. "You have lipstick on your lips."

"Oh," he said, watching as she wiped it off of his lips. "I probably still look cute, though, right?"

"No comment," she said, rolling her eyes as she wiped it off. He grinned at her.

"I'll remember that."

"I'm sure you will."

"I want to ask you something," he said, grabbing hold of her hand. She looked up at him.

"Oh?"

"Will you go to prom with me?"

"Really?" she asked, a smile glowing on her face. He nodded. "I would love to go to prom!"

He smiled back before leaning down to capture her lips. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she couldn't help but feel happy.

* * *

"Tim," Bruce said, watching as his youngest protégé showed up in the cave.

"Hello, Bruce."

"Happy birthday," he said, handing Tim an envelope. Tim looked up at him in surprise before he opened it, revealing the card and money.

"Wow. Thank you, Bruce."

"It's not everyday you turn fifteen," he said, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Barbara and Dick joined them, and the computer started to beep. Bruce turned to it, pulling his cowl up when he noticed what was on the screen.

"Let's go!" he said, looking over at Batgirl, Nightwing and Robin. "I've found Brown."

"Where?"

"The old saw mill building. He thinks he threw me off his track. He's wrong."

They all returned to their vehicles and took off to the building, stopping a few blocks away to avoid being spotted. Once they parked their vehicles, they grappled up to the top of the building.

"Can you see anything?" Nightwing asked, looking down.

"No. Windows are covered. We're going to have to play this carefully."

"Is there anyway in?" Batgirl asked.

"There's always a way in," Batman said, analyzing the building. Once he finally found a way inside, he started to move, motioning to them to follow after him. Looking down, he watched as Arthur Brown moved around, talking to his fellow henchmen as he did so.

"We execute tonight," Brown said.

"What about Batman?"

Brown laughed before turning to his henchman. "Batman? I'm not worried about _Batman_. I've sent him clues and he still hasn't been able to find us."

"He did the other night," one of the men said, watching as Brown angrily turned to him.

"Someone sold us out!" he hissed, grabbing the man by the collar. "And you all better hope I don't find out who it is!"

They all cringed. Batman looked over at his three protégés and nodded his head, signaling his readiness. They all jumped through the roof and landed on the ground, watching as all of the men stood up and grabbed for their guns.

"Batman!"

"I've found you, Brown, and I'm taking you in."

He growled before he started to attack Batman. Nightwing, Batgirl and Robin began to take down the henchmen.

"You won't stop me!" Cluemaster said, throwing a punch at Batman.

"He may not, but I will!"

"Who-?" Cluemaster asked, before being kicked in the back. Batman looked up in surprise before he spotted who it was.

"Spoiler. You're back."

"Couldn't let him get away," she said, glaring down at Cluemaster.

"Spoiler!" Robin said, running up to them.

"You're going to jail, Brown."

He chuckled, and Spoiler pulled her sticks out. Batman put his hand up.

"Don't let him get to you."

"Do you think you've truly won?" Brown asked, a smirk plastered on his face as he looked at them. "I'm the only villain who has stumped you on several occasions. You couldn't find me, could you?"

"You're not going to get to me, Brown," Batman said, wrapping his arm around Spoiler's shoulder to pull her away. Once they were outside, he grappled them up to the top of the building.

"You did it!" Robin said, running up to her.

"I guess my Spoiler days are over with now."

"If you're truly interested in continuing on as Spoiler, then let us help you," Batman said, walking up to her. She looked up at him.

"Do you mean that?"

"I do. If I tell you that you can't be out there, you'll run out there yourself and get hurt. Batgirl has already volunteered to help train you."

Batgirl smiled at her, and she smiled back. She then looked back over at Batman.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, before disappearing. Batgirl walked up to her.

"We'll be in touch soon," she said, before turning to Nightwing to walk away. Once everyone was out of sight, Robin turned to her.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you for all of your help," she said, throwing him a smile.

"Your father needed to be stopped."

She looked down at his arm and spotted the blood stain. She then reached up and put her fingers underneath it.

"You're hurt."

"It's no big deal," he replied. "Nightwing wrapped it."

She placed her fingers underneath the wound before she ran them up to his face. She then leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for everything."

Throwing him a small smile, she turned and jumped off the building, leaving him in a stunned silence.

His heart was pounding in his chest.


	28. Happiness

**Author's Note: I am sorry about the long wait everyone! I took a small break from writing, but I'm back now! Thank you for your patience! :)**

* * *

"Faster," Barbara ordered, moving around to avoid getting hit by Stephanie. She took another shot, watching as the elder girl jumped out of the way.

"I'll get you this time!"

"Oh, yeah?" Barbara asked with a smirk, avoiding yet another blow from Stephanie. The young girl sighed in frustration before she attempted another shot, not realizing that Barbara was right behind her. Turning around, she accidently got hit in the face.

"Oh no!" Barbara said, watching as Stephanie grabbed for her face and turned away. "I'm so sorry!"

"Got you!" Stephanie said, kicking her leg to drop Barbara to the ground. The older girl grunted in pain.

"Ouch. Good job."

Stephanie helped her up, still grabbing hold of her face. Barbara felt immediately guilty by how red it was.

"Here, sit down," she said, pulling a chair up for Stephanie. While she sat down, Barbara went to grab the first aid kit.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down next to her. She shrugged.

"A little sore, but I'm ok."

Barbara tipped over the peroxide bottle onto the cotton ball and put it up to Stephanie's face, pulling it back slightly when she winced. She then put it back onto her face.

"You took quite a hit. I didn't think I hit you that hard."

"It's ok," Stephanie replied, holding the ice pack up to her face. Barbara looked at her for a minute before she put the bottle down.

"Stephanie, tell me something."

"Sure."

"Why did you start all of this?" she asked, looking over at the younger girl. "I mean, I know you wanted to stop your father, but there has to be more of a reason."

Stephanie let out a soft breath before she looked over at Barbara. "It was all to stop my father. When I found out what he did, I created Spoiler to do whatever it takes to stop him. I was going to stop after he was arrested. I really was. Then….then I met…."

She stopped talking, and Barbara furrowed her brow before the answer dawned on her. "Before you met Robin."

Stephanie nodded, a slight blush on her cheeks. Barbara smiled softly.

"Don't be embarrassed."

"I liked working with him. He made me feel…happy. I haven't felt that way in a long time. I really enjoy working with him."

Barbara looked down, a small smile on her face. "Dick and I have been best friends for almost ten years. We met the night his parents were killed. I never knew he was Robin until a few years ago. Even before then, I had the biggest crush on Robin. When I found out they were one in the same, I grew feelings for Dick. Like you, I wanted to make a difference. I ran out one night and put myself in danger. After that night, I became Batgirl. Working alongside Dick was the best experience ever. So, I understand what you mean with Robin."

"I'm never going to find out his name, am I?"

"Robin has a reason for his privacy. We need to protect him."

"I understand," she replied, removing the ice pack from her face. She looked straight at Barbara, a smile forming on her face. "You know, you're an amazing trainer."

"Thank you," Barbara said, putting the first aid kit away. "We girls got to stick together, right? We can't let the boys take over."

Stephanie turned her head, looking at the glass case that held Robin's suit. Barbara followed her, her face falling.

"I miss him," she whispered, watching as Stephanie turned back to her. "This is why we're so concerned about you."

Stephanie didn't reply, but she turned back to Barbara, who looked like she was about to cry. Getting up, she immediately wrapped her arms around her.

"Thanks," Barbara said, pulling away.

"I need to keep my trainer happy, right?"

She smiled, standing back up again. She then turned back to Stephanie. "Ready for another round, or have you had enough for today?"

"You wish!" Stephanie said, grinning.

* * *

"Is something different about Batgirl and Nightwing to you?" Zatanna asked, eyeing her two teammates. M'gann looked over at them but shook her head.

"I don't think so."

"Something's up," she responded. "They look so…..happy."

"Do you think they're dating?"

"I don't know," she said, looking between them. "They haven't talked to each other much, but they're not mad at each other. It's like they're purposely avoiding each other to throw us off track."

M'gann looked at her. "You really think they would go through all of that to try to hide a relationship?"

Zatanna turned to her. "They're _Batman's_ protégés. Do you think they wouldn't?"

"True," she replied, after a moment's thought. "They would be so cute together, if it's true."

"Oh, it's true," Zatanna replied, a smirk formed on her face.

"Hey!" Batgirl said, as she and Nightwing walked up to them.

"Hi, Barbara, Nightwing," Zatanna said, looking between them.

"Hi," they both replied.

"So, er, how are things?" M'gann asked, watching as they shrugged.

"Same old same old," Nightwing replied, and Barbara nodded in agreement. Zatanna and M'gann looked at each other. "What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"M'gann, come quick!" Connor cried, and everyone followed him to Garfield's room.

"Garfield!" M'gann cried, running to his bed. He was thrashing around, sweat dripping off of his forehead. Nightwing also ran up to him.

"Barbara, go get a wet towel! Zatanna, get some help!"

Both of the girls rushed off. Nightwing helped M'gann hold him down.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked in worry, and he shook his head, unsure of how to respond. Black Canary and Superman both appeared in the doorway.

"We need to get him to the medical wing," Superman said, picking him up.

* * *

"How is he?" Black Canary asked Flash, who pushed the monitor away. He slowly turned his head towards her.

"When M'gann did the blood transfusion on him, it appears that her molecules bonded with his own. It created a new DNA in his system that's slowly working over time."

"You mean he's…changing?" she asked in confusion. He nodded.

"His DNA isn't quite the same as M'gann's. It's different."

"Is that why he's turning green?" she asked, looking at his hand. Flash nodded.

"Yes."

She pressed her lips together, gently patting Garfield's hand. She then stood up and walked outside of the medbay, meeting the teenagers.

"How is he?" M'gann asked, her eyes watering. Black Canary gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"It appears when you did the blood transfusion on Garfield, it changed his DNA sequence. He's changing into something, although we can't identify what right now. He's starting to turn green."

They all looked at her, unsure of what to say. M'gann had tears running down her face.

"This is my fault."

"No, it's not. Garfield would have died without that transfusion," Nightwing said, walking up to her. "You were the only one who could have saved him. None of the rest of us matched his blood type."

She continued crying, and he gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him. Everyone was silent.

"He's going to be ok, M'gann," Black Canary said, gently placing her hand on her shoulder.

"Can I see him?" she asked, and the older woman nodded, letting her into the room. Zatanna and Superboy followed behind her. Barbara walked up to Nightwing.

"Are you ok?" she asked, grabbing for his hand. He nodded.

"Yeah. I'm glad he's ok, but what's going to happen to him?"

"I don't know," she replied, looking through the glass at everyone in the room.

He gently squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back, reassuring each other that they were there.

* * *

Spoiler swung through the city, enjoying the darkness that fell onto her as she swung from building to building. Contrary to popular belief, with the way she was swinging, she knew exactly where she was going.

Running across the rooftops, she threw her grapnel and swung again, taking a hard fall once she did so. Moaning, she pushed herself up with her arms.

"You need practice on swinging." A smile escaped her lips as she stood up. "A lot of practice."

"Hey, cutie," she said, walking up behind Robin. He turned around to face her.

"Spoiler," he said, looking up from his gauntlet.

"Nice to see you again. I feel like you've been hiding from me."

"With Barbara training you, I have to stay away from the cave."

"And why is that, exactly?"

"You know why."

"When do I get to find out your identity?"

"Never."

"Everyone else knows."

He didn't reply, and she let out a frustrated sigh as he continued typing away at his gauntlet. She then smiled, watching as he looked up in confusion.

"That's ok. I prefer to call you Robin, anyway."

He raised an eyebrow, watching as she smirked underneath her mask. He then shook his head, typing away at his gauntlet.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking at this information Batman sent me," he said, watching as she walked up to him. She looked down at his gauntlet.

"What are we looking for today?"

"What makes you think we're looking for something?"

"Because you said Batman sent you information."

"And?"

"That means we're going on an adventure."

He looked at her, and she smirked back at him. He then shook his head.

" _Robin, Spoiler, meet me in Kingston,"_ Batman's voice echoed through the comms unit.

"Well, look at that," Spoiler that, turning to him. "The boss is calling."

Robin sighed, pressing his hand against his forehead. They then jumped down to his bike and drove off to Kingston. Once they arrived at the location, they parked his bike and met with Batman.

"Look down below," he said, and they moved towards him, spotting a building. "I've been studying it for some time now. Something suspicious is going on in there."

"Do you know what?" Robin asked.

"No. I've seen multiple men walk in there and not come back out. I've seen this multiple times before. Poison Ivy."

"Do you think she's in there?"

"Not sure," he replied, looking down. "We need to figure out what's going on in there."

"What's our best way in?"

"There's an opening through the roof," Spoiler said, using her binoculars.

"Let's get moving, then," Batman said, and they all started moving out towards the hole. Once they got there, they looked down below.

"There's Ivy," Robin whispered, pointing to her.

"Hmm, my friends tell me we have some uninvited guests," Ivy said, and vines started shooting through the roof, pulling the three heroes down. They coughed as they stood up. "Don't you know it's rude to show up to a meeting uninvited, Batman?"

"Ivy," he replied, standing up.

"Men, what do we do when there are uninvited guests?" she asked all of her followers, who turned around and started to attack them.

"Hold on, Spoiler," Robin said, standing back-to-back with her. The followers started to attack them, and they held their own until smoke blocked their view.

"Heads up, Robin," Batgirl said, kicking the gun out of the crook's hand.

"You're so kind to me, Batgirl," he replied, watching her back.

"No love for me, BG?" Nightwing asked, grinning at her as he kicked his own goon in the back. Spoiler assisted him.

"Not today, no," she replied, smirking when he gave her a look. Batman looked between them.

"Spoiler!" Robin said, pushing her out of the way. Nightwing grabbed for Batgirl and pushed her out of the way.

"Not out of the clear, yet," he said, watching as Batgirl glanced over at him.

"What was your first idea? The swinging vines, or the poisonous sprays?"

He smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes before getting up. He followed after her, pulling out his grapnel to get to a high point. Robin, Spoiler and Batman moved forward.

"Spoiler," Batman said, as they ran together, "do you think you can get up there?"

She nodded, and Batman carefully helped her up to the top. She maneuvered around, trying to sneak behind Ivy while the rest of the team distracted her.

She had no luck, though.

Nightwing grabbed hold of her before the vine smashed her in the rib. She let out a breath of relief.

"How does she do that?"

"The plants "talk" to her," he replied. "It's hard to get around her."

"What do we do?"

"I'm going to have you team up with Batgirl to take Ivy on the backside," Nightwing said, pointing down below. "Robin and I will distract her. Batman will take her down."

"Do you think it will work?"

"It's worth a try."

She nodded in agreement, and they started to move towards their position. Spoiler ran up to Batgirl.

"What's the plan, boss?"

"Follow me," she replied, and they both moved around the corner, watching Nightwing and Robin down below. The vines continued to attack them,

"Batgirl, Spoiler," Batman said, meeting them up top, "attack from the top. I'm going to go down the middle and try to take her down."

The girls nodded, and they all followed through with the plan. Avoiding the vines, they both jumped on the biggest plants and pulled down, causing Ivy to cry out in pain. Batman took advantage of the situation and grabbed for Ivy, quickly putting the metahuman collar on her. All of the plants and vines suddenly stopped moving.

"Man, that was rough," Robin said, taking deep breaths.

"Ivy's always hard to take down," Nightwing said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Hey!" Batgirl called, and they quickly rushed over to her.

"Ow," Spoiler cried, grabbing hold of her side. Batgirl helped her up.

"I think you broke a rib," she said.

"We can take her back to the cave and have Alfred examine her," Batman said, walking over to them.

"I'll take her back," Batgirl said. "She can stay the night at my apartment."

* * *

"Right through here," Barbara said, opening her apartment door. Once it was open she led Stephanie inside.

"This is a really nice apartment," Stephanie said, looking around.

"Thank you."

Stephanie sat down on the couch, hissing in pain as she did so.

"You should call your mother," Barbara said, grabbing a blanket from the closet.

"I'm not telling her about this."

"Not about this," she said, giving her the blanket. "I mean staying the night."

"Oh," she replied, grabbing for Barbara's cellphone. She dialed the number and waited for the answer. "Hi, mom. It's Steph."

Barbara turned and walked to the kitchen, heating up the kettle as she did so. She grabbed two cups out of the cupboard and fixed the tea. Once it was ready, she returned to the living room.

"Thanks," Stephanie said, taking the cup with Barbara gave it to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore. At least my rib isn't broken."

She sat down next to Stephanie, taking a sip from her tea as she did so. Stephanie put hers on the table.

"So, you and Dick…."

Barbara looked up, furrowing her brow as she did so. "What about us?"

"Come on, it's pretty obvious," she replied, a smirk forming on her face. "You two clearly like each other."

Barbara blushed, turning to look away from the younger girl. "We're dating."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she replied with a small laugh.

"That's so exciting!"

Barbara nodded, grinning like an idiot as she did so.

Yes, it was exciting.

* * *

"Ok, Tim, how do I look?" Dick asked, smoothing his suit out. Tim glanced over him.

"You look nice."

"Thanks," he said, turning back to the mirror. "Going to meet Stephanie tonight?"

Tim looked at him. "Why would you assume that?"

"I don't know," he replied, spraying his cologne on himself. "You two seem to be very close."

"She's going to get herself hurt." Dick chuckled, causing Tim to look at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry. It just sounds way too familiar."

"You and Barbara."

"Yeah," Dick said, nodding his head. "I was afraid she was going to get hurt when she first started, too. Now look at her. She's a total badass."

Tim laughed. "That she is."

"Barbara's working with Stephanie and says she's doing great. Stephanie is doing fine."

Tim didn't reply, and Dick went to sit down next to him. "You like her."

"No, I don't."

He grinned, watching as Tim's face flushed red. "Oh, you do like her!"

"Shut up, Dick."

"Timmy!" Dick said, wrapping his arm around Tim's neck and rubbing his head. He pushed him away.

"Leave me alone, Dick."

"No way. Tell me how you feel."

"Don't you have a prom to get to?"

"Oh, right!" he replied, looking at his watch. "Hey, I know it's prom night, but call me if you need anything, ok?"

He showed Tim his watch, watching as the younger boy nodded. They walked out of Dick's room and down to the entrance hall, where Tim stopped Dick.

"I'm going to check on Spoiler. Make sure she's doing ok."

"Good idea," he replied, ruffling the younger one's hair. "See you around, Tim."

Tim nodded, and Dick turned to walk out to the garage. He got into his car and drove off towards the city, heart pounding in his chest as he thought about what his girlfriend was wearing to prom tonight.

He arrived at her apartment and parked the car, buzzing up to her apartment. Once he was let inside, he quickly walked the stairs to her apartment, moving so fast that he had no idea how he got there.

He knocked on the door and waited for a minute before it opened revealing….Jim.

"Grayson," he said, nodding his head.

"Hello, Mr. Gordon."

"Come inside, son," he said, moving aside to let Dick in. He swallowed before moving into the apartment, knowing that Jim was going to give him a talk before Barbara came in. "How are you?"

"I'm good," he said, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. "How are you?"

"Good," he replied, nodding his head.

"Here she is," Emily said, walking out of Barbara's bedroom.

Barbara walked out, and Dick's mouth fell open. He couldn't stop staring, resulting in a painful nudge from Jim.

"Wow, you look so beautiful," Dick said, his voice completely caught in his throat. She smiled.

"Thank you."

He looked down at her dress, a beautiful shade of lavender that dipped slightly in the front and exposed most of her back. Her hair was down and curled, one of Barbara's favorite hairstyles that Emily did.

The necklace that he had given her shined in the light.

She was breathtaking.

"You're staring, Hunky."

"S-Sorry," he said, unable to form any words. "Here."

He lifted the box up and opened it, pulling the corsage out. A smile lit up her face as she raised her hand, watching as he put it on her.

"Pictures!" Emily said, watching as Barbara let out a small laugh.

Dick pulled her close to him, and Emily snapped the pictures. Barbara pulled away from Dick once Emily finished the pictures.

"You have fun tonight, pumpkin," Jim said, walking up to her.

"I will, dad."

"Grayson, a word," Jim said, pulling him away despite Barbara's protest.

"Barbara," Emily said, turning to her, "be careful tonight, ok? Have fun but be careful."

"I will," she replied, giving her a hug.

"And you remember what we talked about, right?" she asked, pushing a piece of her hair away from the young girl's face.

"Of course."

"Are you ready?" Dick asked, walking back up to her.

"Ready," she said, smiling at him.

"Have fun!" Jim and Emily called back as they walked away. She shut the door behind her and turned to face him.

"Look at you," she said, putting her hands on the sides of his jacket. "You look so handsome."

She reached up and pressed their lips together. She broke away after a minute and wiped the lipstick off of his lips.

"You're so beautiful."

"Thanks. Let's get going, hunky."

* * *

"Wow," Barbara breathed out, once they stepped into the hall. "This is so beautiful."

"Yeah," he replied, looking around.

"Let's find a table," she said, and he nodded in agreement before they walked over to a table. He pulled a chair out for her before he sat down next to her.

"It's like a fairytale in here."

"A fairytale?" he asked, a smirk plastered on his face. She glanced at him.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"Oh, no," he said, shaking his head. "I would never do that."

She punched him in the arm, and he grinned at her as he rubbed it. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't make fun of me."

"I won't, shorty."

She growled, and he grinned even more. She punched his arm again.

"You're being mean."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

"You're right," he replied, and she rolled her eyes, but he couldn't help but notice the hint of the smile that ghosted her face.

The music changed, and he looked over at her. She was looking around, enjoying the way the hall was decorated. He suddenly stood up and walked to the other side of her.

"Can I ask you for this dance?" he asked, holding his hand out to her. She smiled.

"Of course."

He grinned at her, helping her up out of the chair. He led them out to the dance floor and placed his hands on her waist, watching as hers wrapped around his neck. They started to dance to the song, moving slowly to the rhythm to the song.

"This is nice," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. He nodded, kissing her head.

"Yeah, it is."

She moaned softly, and they continued to sway to the music, soft and slowly like every other time they have slow danced together.

He wished the night would never end.

The music changed to a faster pace, but it started to become a background noise for the both of them. They focused on each other until they took a break and returned to their table.

"This night is going by way too fast," she said, a smile lighting up her face. He couldn't help but shoot one back at her.

"I know. I-" he hesitated for a minute. "Are you having a good time?"

She smiled before she leaned over and pressed their lips together. Breaking away a minute later, she kept the smile on her face.

"I'm having a great time. C'mon, let's get back out to the floor."

* * *

"You look exhausted," Dick said, looking over at Barbara as he drove them home. She smiled.

"You would be, too, if your boyfriend danced with you the entire night."

He laughed, pulling into her apartment parking lot. He got out of the car and opened the door for her. They then walked up to the door and she put the code in before they walked up to her apartment.

"Thanks for an amazing night, Dick," she said, letting him. She shut the door behind him before taking her heels off.

"I'm glad you had a good night."

"I had an amazing night," she repeated herself, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Bruce is going to kill me," he said, looking at the clock. "I'm way late."

"Well, since you're late anyway," she said, pulling him down onto the couch. He grinned. "Why don't you stay a little longer?"

"And what do you have planned?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said, placing her finger on her chin. "Watch some tv."

"Hmm," he replied, rubbing his chin.

"Or," she whispered, grabbing hold of his face. She then crashed his lips down on hers, running her hands though his hair. His hands rested on her waist, pulling her close to him.

He enjoyed being with her. She enjoyed being with him.

* * *

"This is nice," Barbara said, laying her head on his chest. He smiled, running his fingers up and her down her back.

"Yeah, it is."

She closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort that being with Dick brought her. His lips pressed against her head, and she snuggled closer to him, not wanting him to leave.

She didn't even realize that she had been dozing off.

"Babs," he whispered, gently shaking her. She let out a disgruntled moan.

"Sleep."

"No," he joked back, still shaking her.

"Jerk," she moaned, and he chuckled before he kissed her head. They laid there in silence for a few minutes.

"I should be going," he said, and she let out a sad sigh.

"Yeah. We don't need Bruce breaking down the door."

He chuckled, watching as she sat up. He stood up and moved around, and she stood up as well, dropping the blanket onto the bed. She then grabbed for her robe as he walked to the door.

"I had an amazing night," she said, tying the robe.

"So did I," he said, buttoning his shirt. He then grabbed for his jacket and placed his hands on the sides of her face. He leaned down and pressed their lips together.

"Goodnight, Babs."

"Goodnight, Dick," she whispered, her eyes still closed. He put another peck on her lips before he turned and walked out the door. She closed it behind him and pressed her back against the door, grinning.

She loved him.


	29. Hurt

**Author's Note: Please note that with season 3 of Young Justice up and running that this story was written before that and will have nothing to do with what happens in season 3.**

 **Sorry for the long wait but another chapter awaits you all! :)**

* * *

"Good morning," Barbara said, before pecking Dick's lips.

"Morning, beautiful."

"Ready for finals?"

"Should be. We stayed up late studying, among other things," he replied with a grin. She shoved his shoulder.

"You're terrible."

"Tim," he said, and they both turned around and spotted the younger boy walking up to them.

"Good morning, Tim," Barbara said, handing him his coffee they bought. She noticed his look. "Is something on your mind?"

"It's Stephanie."

"Oh," she replied, a hint of a smile on her face. "Come here."

They pulled Tim over to the bench and they all sat down. She started talking again. "Now, Tim, what's going on?"

"I feel different," he said. "When I'm around her, I feel like something's changing between us. I don't know what it is."

"Oh, little brother," Dick said, a chuckle escaping from his lips. "It sounds like you like her."

"Of course I like her. She's my friend."

"No, Tim," Barbara said. "More than a friend. Like you want to be boyfriend and girlfriend."

"What? No!" he said, standing up.

"Here we go again," Dick chimed in.

"Huh?"

"Don't mind him. I know this isn't what's on your mind. You already know that answer. What's really on your mind?"

He looked down. "I don't know if I should tell her who I am."

"Tim, that is your choice," Dick said. "It's your identity and your family on the line. We all know this. It's what we agreed to when you first started."

"And we will support whatever decision you decide to make. If you trust Stephanie enough to tell her, we'll be right behind you every step. In the end, though, it's your decision."

"Thanks, guys," Tim replied. The bell rang. "I better get to class."

"Us, too. See you for practice tonight? Steph will be there."

"Yeah," he replied, grabbing hold of his bookbag. "See you later."

* * *

"There's been an attack in the city," Bruce said, rushing down to the cave. "Multiple injuries. Sources say it's Firefly."

"Again?" Dick sighed. "He's so damn hard to take down."

"Language," Bruce replied. "We need to move. Now."

They all jumped on their bikes and followed the Batmobile out into the city. Once they arrived, they noticed that fires now engulfed the city.

"I'll take down Firefly," Batman said. "I want you all rescuing civilians."

They nodded, and started moving away. Batgirl joined up with Spoiler.

"Put your mask on," she said, grabbing the oxygen mask. Spoiler did the same. "We'll check this building over here."

The younger girl followed after her, and they carefully went into the building, looking for anyone in there.

"Do you hear that?" Spoiler asked, and Batgirl's heart started pounding in her chest.

"Look out!" Batgirl said, pushing Spoiler out of the way. The explosion went off.

* * *

"Over here, Robin," Nightwing said, moving into the grocery store. They both quickly looked around, spotting a few people who were caught in the smoke.

"Over here," Nightwing said, as he and Robin helped them out. Once they were safe with the G.C.F.D, they went to the next building.

"Is there anyone in here?" Robin called out. No answer.

"I'll check over here," Nightwing said, and Robin continued to look around, making sure no one was there.

"Nightwing? Did you find anyone?" he asked, looking around.

"No. I think the building's empty."

"Hopefully the same for Spoiler and Batgirl," Robin replied, looking over at the burning building next to them.

"Let's get out of here," Nightwing said, and they both left the store.

"Are you both ok?" a fireman asked, running up to them.

"We're fine, why?"

"Lynns shot off a fireball into that building over there. We're clearing it out to see if anyone was in there."

"Batgirl and Spoiler are in there!" Robin said, and they both quickly ran off, ignoring the warning from the fireman.

* * *

Smoke filled around them, and Spoiler started coughing, pushing the debris off of her. She started looking around for Batgirl, unable to find her.

"Batgirl?" she cried out, looking through the damage. "Batgirl?!

She finally found her, and her breath caught in her throat. "Oh, no!"

"Batgirl? Spoiler?" Nightwing called out, running through the smoke.

"Nightwing!" Spoiler said, fear and panic in her voice as she looked for a pulse.

"Batgirl," he whispered, gently slapping her face. He put his hands on her chest and started CPR, fear growing in him when she still wasn't breathing. "Batgirl, come on!"

He continued with CPR, tears welling up in his eyes. His breathing became frantic when she still wasn't responding.

"Damnit, Barbara, come on!" he said, her name slipping out in his fear.

She awoke in fear, and he let out a relieved breath, his chest panting up and down. Spoiler had tears running down her face, and Nightwing quickly pulled Batgirl into his arm. Robin helped Spoiler up.

"What-?" Batgirl asked, confusion filling her face. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. "Nightwing?"

"Shh," he whispered, watching as Robin tended to Batgirl's wounds.

"Nightwing?"

"You're ok," he said, and she felt tears drop onto her head. Not from Spoiler, who was on her other side. "You're ok."

"Nightwing, she needs to rest," Robin said, and he carefully picked her up, his heart breaking when she cried out in pain.

He's had a lot of injuries-some life-threatening such as this-but he's never seen anything this bad.

"I'm fine," she whispered, and he shook his head.

"No, you're not."

He quickly found the van and watched as it opened, revealing Alfred on the other side. He carefully took Barbara from him and laid her down on the bed.

"We need to get back to the cave."

"Robin? Spoiler? Batman?" Nightwing said through the comms. "We're going back to the cave."

Alfred carefully moved around until he got into the driver's seat. Dick stayed with Barbara.

"I'm here," he told her, smiling down at her. "Just hold on."

"You're bleeding," she said, looking at his shoulder.

"I'm wrapping it," he said, grabbing for the gauze. "You're more important."

"Not to me," she replied, and watched as he wrapped his shoulder.

When they finally arrived at the cave, Nightwing carefully lifted her up and stepped out of the van, watching as Alfred set up a bed.

"Master Richard, you need stitches!"

"Her first, Alfred!" Dick cried out, putting Barbara onto the bed.

"Dick!" she said, and he shook his head.

"Please help her, Alfred," he said, and the pain in his voice was enough for Alfred to turn his attention to Barbara. Dick pulled up a seat and sat down next to her.

Time seemed to move very slowly.

Barbara got some stitches, and Alfred had hooked her up to a heart monitor. Knowing that she would be in pain for some time, he gave her some pain medicine and within a few minutes she was asleep.

Dick was there the whole time, holding her hand and whispering to her.

"She'll be ok," Alfred said, watching the monitor. "Heartbeat is very strong, considering."

"Good," Dick breathed out.

"Your turn," the older man ordered.

Dick regretfully let go of her hand and moved to the other bed, watching as Alfred removed the wrap. He then winced when Alfred let out a gasp.

"You have lost a lot of blood," the older man said.

"I feel fine."

"Hold still," Alfred said, before he went to work.

"Nightwing?" Batman said.

"Here."

"We're got the situation under control. How's Batgirl?"

"She's ok. Alfred has us here at the cave."

"We should be there shortly. We'll stay and help clean up."

"Let me know if you need anything. Nightwing out."

He looked over at Barbara, sound asleep in her bed. The noise of the monitor became a background noise to her just sleeping in her bed.

"You really care for her," Alfred said, once he finished.

"Of course I do. I really care for her."

"Kids," Alfred chuckled, shaking his head.

* * *

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

The annoying beeping awoke Barbara, who let out a frustrated moan. She tried to force her eyes to stay shut, not ready to awaken from the deep sleep she was in.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Her eyes finally opened, struggling at first before her vision finally came into place. She let out a deep breath and turned her head, watching as Dick stared down at her, an unknown look on his face.

"Hi."

"How do you feel?" he asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

"I'm fine," she stressed, sitting up in the bed.

He didn't reply, and she let out a frustrated sigh, closing her eyes once again as another bout of tiredness hit her. The feeling of his hand running through her hair was so comforting to her that she nearly fell asleep again.

"You're awfully quiet," she said, turning towards him.

"I'm glad you're ok," he said, kissing her hand.

"You were really scared, weren't you?" she asked softly, looking into his eyes. Her hand moved to his cheek.

"You have no idea," he replied, grabbing hold of her hand. "Barbara, I love you."

"What?" she asked in surprise, her eyes widening.

"This is probably the worst time to tell, but I want you to know. I love you."

"Oh, Dick," she whispered, moving so their heads were touching. "Dick, I love you, too."

"You do?" he asked, and she nodded, smiling at him.

"I love you."

He smiled, then pressed their lips together.

* * *

"What a long, boring day at school," Barbara said, throwing her bookbag down on the floor next to Dick's couch in his room. He smirked.

"Who are you and what have you done with Barbara?"

She laughed, throwing her head back. His eyes lit up as he saw her.

"Babs, have I ever told you how beautiful you are?"

"Once or twice," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Is that all?" he asked, playing with a piece of her hair.

"Alfred's gone to town," she said, playing with the collar of his shirt. "Bruce is gone. Whatever should we do?"

"Study," he said, taking her hands off of his collar. She furrowed her brow.

"Study?"

"Yeah."

"We have a mansion to ourselves and you want to _study?_ "

"Yeah."

He turned away from her and grabbed for his bag. A concerned look came on her face as she watched him sit down on the couch and pull his books out.

"OK, what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ever since my heart stopped, you've been cautious around me. You won't let me go out on missions, and now this."

"Barbara, I-"

"Are you afraid my heart is going to stop again?" she asked, watching as he dropped his head. "It is, isn't it?"

He didn't reply, and she walked over to him and bent down, putting her hands on his face. "Leslie cleared me to go back to work, even though she's against it."

"Babs, I nearly lost you," he said, standing up to put his hands on her arms. "I can't lose you."

"I'm right here," she said, grabbing hold of his hand and putting his hand on her heart. "It's still beating."

"I can't lose you."

"You'll never lose me. I'll always be right here."

He laid his head down on her shoulder, and she gently ran her hand through his hair to comfort him. They stayed like this for a few minutes before she pulled away.

"Let's study."

He kissed her head before they walked back to the couch, pulling their books out. She cuddled up against him and opened her book, laying her head on his shoulder.

"By the way, you totally cried over me."

"I did not cry over you," he replied, and she smirked.

"You cried over me."

He rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't."

"Mmhm."

He gave her a look before he pushed her books off of her. He then pressed their lips together and pulled her on top of him, smiling against her lips.

* * *

"Tell me something," Barbara asked, her head resting on Dick's chest.

"Ok. Something."

"Asshole," she said, watching as he smirked at her. "I'm serious."

"Ok," he said, worry setting on his face as he looked down at her.

"If something were to happen to me, would you stay with me?"

"Babs!" he said, but she put a finger to his lips.

"I mean it."

"You know I would," he said, sitting up, causing her to sit up as well. The blanket fell to their waists. "Barbara, I love you. I love you more than anything. No matter what happens I am not leaving you."

"You mean that?"

"Always," he replied, pressing their lips together.

Her eyes started watering, and he reached up and wiped the tears away. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed their lips together again.

"Promise me one thing," she said, pulling away.

"Anything."

"You'll move on if something happens to me."

"Barbara-"

"Promise me," she whispered, pressing their lips together.

"I promise," he replied back, pressing their heads together. "And you promise the same if something happened to me?"

"Yes," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes again.

"Don't cry, beautiful," he whispered back, wiping her face again.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, and she pulled him back on top of her and pressed their lips together.

* * *

"Where has Bruce been at lately?" Robin asked, nearly dodging a hit from Stephanie.

"He says he's working on something, but he won't tell us what," Dick replied, turning from Barbara to Stephanie.

"Got ya," Barbara said, knocking Dick over. Robin and Stephanie laughed.

"Why always me?" he grunted, getting back up.

"Aww, is someone mad?" she joked back, helping him up.

"I hate you."

"Let's take a break," she laughed, and they all went to sit down, taking a drink from their water bottles.

"Stephanie, are you going to your father's trial?" Robin asked, and she shook her head.

"No. I don't want to go. There's enough evidence against him. He'll be put away for good."

"Is your mom going?"

"Yeah, but I don't know why. He's a criminal. He's a disgrace to our family."

"My father will be there," Barbara said, gently squeezing her shoulder. "He's worried about you, though. He is still your father."

"He's no father of mine," she replied, throwing her batarang. It hit the target in the bullseye.

The door opened, and the Batmobile pulled in. They all stood up once Bruce got out of the car.

"Bruce, where have you been?"

"Investigating something," he replied, sitting down at his chair. He pulled up a CCTV video feed. "There's a new criminal boss here in Gotham. He and Black Mask have been going at each other."

"Is this him?" Barbara asked, looking at the screen.

"He calls himself the Red Hood," Bruce said.

"Joker's old alias?" Dick asked, furrowing his brow.

"Yes. I went chasing the original Red Hood before he fell into the vat of chemicals, changing the man into The Joker. Now, it seems, someone else has started wearing the mask, but it's designed differently."

"So, not Joker?"

"No. Joker likes his new look too much. It's not him."

"Do you know who it is?"

"I don't. I've been watching this closely. There's something so familiar about him it's….frightening.

"And you have no idea who? At all?"

"None. I do have a lead where he'll be, though. Dick, Barbara and I are going to go. Robin and Stephanie, I may have a mission for you."

"What is it?"

"I'll explain the details soon. For now, Batgirl, Nightwing and I are going to move out."

* * *

"There he is!" Batgirl said pointing to the man.

"I want you both to stay up here," Batman said, looking at them. "Wait for my call."

They nodded, and watched as Batman jumped down to the building below. He carefully moved through the shadows, looking down below.

"I know you're there, Batman," Red Hood said, turning around.

"I'm putting an end to this."

"Can you see anything?" Batgirl whispered, as she and Nightwing both looked down.

"Not much. Batman is right, though. The design of the uniform is much different than the one Joker wore years ago."

"Were you Robin yet?"

"Not yet. It happened shortly before I was taken in."

Batman and Red Hood disappeared, and both were tempted to follow after them, but they followed orders and waited.

"I wonder how it's going," Nightwing asked sometime later, dangling his legs off of the building.

"We haven't heard anything from Batman yet. I'm starting to get worried."

"Batgirl, Nightwing!" Batman said through the comms. "He's heading your way!"

"We're keeping a look out."

"It's not just that. The man under the Red Hood. It's Jason. He's back."

"What?!" they both cried out. "How?!"

"No time! Find him!"

They both looked around, trying to spot the man. Batman ran to the middle of the alley before he was attacked.

"Wait!" Nightwing said, grabbing Batgirl before she jumped down. "He's got a gun."

"Shit," she whispered, watching as Jason pulled his helmet off, revealing black hair with a white streak, and a red domino mask.

"Barbara, you always got through to Jason more than anyone," Nightwing said, turning to look at her. "If you walk up to him, maybe you can get through to him. I'll stay up top. If it doesn't work, I'll take him down."

She sighed. "Jason, what happened to you?"

"That's up to us to find out," he replied, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're up."

He let out a breath before she removed her cowl and jumped down. Jason had just pushed Batman to the ground, holding his gun right between Batman's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jason," Batman croaked out.

"Jason!" Batgirl called out, running up to him. He turned to her.

"Barbara?"

"Don't do this," she said, watching as he lowered his gun. "Come home. We can help you."

"I don't need help!" he screamed out, the gun wavering in his hand.

"Of course," she replied, stepping slightly closer. "Jay, put the gun down, and let's talk."

"I'd rather not."

"Jason," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. He had gotten so tall. "My little birdie."

"Get away, Barbara," he growled, but she stood her ground.

"I'm not moving. You need help. I don't know what happened to you, but we can help you. Come home, Jay. Come home."

"Come on, Jay," Nightwing whispered, staring down at them.

"I'm not going anywhere," he replied, and Nightwing finally had enough. He jumped down from the top of the building and knocked Jason out of the way, ignoring Barbara's pleas for him to stop.

Dick rolled to the ground, right before smoke appeared around them. Quickly turning his nightvision on, he looked around, but he couldn't spot Jason.

"He's gone," Batman said, once he was up.

"Are you both ok?" Nightwing asked, looking at them.

"He's gone," Batman repeated, staring at the spot where Jason had him pinned down.

"Batman?" Nightwing said, staring in worry at his mentor.

"I-I'll be at the cave," he said, walking back to the car. Nightwing turned to Batgirl.

"Are you ok?"

"You should have given me more time!" she told him. "He was listening to me!"

"He was hesitating," Dick replied, turning to her. "He could have turned the gun on you or fired at Bruce."

"And he got away! We could have brought him home, Dick!" she said, tears in her eyes.

"We'll find him," he replied, placing his hands on her arms. "I want to bring my brother home, too. More than anything. I want to find out what happened to him."

"You should have given me more time. I could have gotten through to him."

"Babs-"

"I'll see you later, Dick," she replied, before pulling out her grapnel and swinging away. He let out a frustrated sigh.

* * *

"I think Talia and I need to have a talk," Bruce said, tapping his fingers against the keyboard.

"Do you think she had something to do with this?" Alfred asked.

"I placed sensors on Jason's casket before we buried him. It would have alerted me if it was tampered with."

"Bruce, we had a closed casket," Dick said, walking up to him. "Do you think it's possible Talia did a switch at the morgue?"

"It's very possible. She could have done something else. We won't know anything until we find her, or Jason."

He trailed off, and Dick dropped his head. He couldn't imagine how Bruce was feeling. He had felt guilty enough after Jason died-they all did-but Bruce snapped. The loss of Jason was something else entirely.

"Whatever happened to him, it's still Jason," Dick said, watching as Bruce looked over at him. "He's still the same person we knew."

"That may be true, but he's different. He needs help."

" _Batman? Nightwing? Batgirl? Someone please answer!"_

* * *

"You're being cute, Boy Wonder," Spoiler said into the comms unit, looking out over the water.

"Focus, Spoiler."

"And you just ruined it."

"Look, I'll be back in a minute, ok? Just be patient."

"Fine," she sighed, getting more bored as time went on. "Contact me when you're almost done."

"I will. Just be-"

"Robin?" she asked, worry filling her voice. "Robin, can you hear me?"

Static filled the comms unit, and after a few attempts of trying to get through panic filled her body. Moving quickly, she ran through the hall, desperately trying to find Robin.

"Robin?!" she cried out, searching through the halls. She heard noise coming from the locked door, and she moved to the keypad, using her gauntlet Batman had given her to hack into it.

It wasn't working. It had already been hacked.

"Come on!" she repeated, attempting to override the hack.

Robin could do it. He knew everything about technology. She obviously didn't.

"Please work. Please work," she whispered, trying to open the door.

The door finally opened, and she quickly ran through, looking through the smoke for any signs of Robin. Once it finally cleared, her breath caught in her throat.

"Robin?!" Spoiler cried out, running up to him. She took him in her arms. "Robin, answer me!"

"J-J-Ja-"

"Shh," she whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. "We need to get you some help."

She carefully helped him up, fear rising in her when he couldn't stand. Sitting him back down, she quickly went to comms unit.

"Batman? Nightwing? Batgirl? Someone please answer!"

"Batman."

"Thank God!" she cried. "Batman, it's Robin. He's really injured and I can't get him back to the cave. Please, I need help!"

"I'm on my way," he replied, and the comms unit went dead.

"Robin," Spoiler said, gently patting his face. "Robin, please answer me."

"Steph?" he muttered, raising his head.

"I'm here," she replied, wiping the blood off with her gloved hand. "Batman's on his way."

He let out a deep breath, then a painful moan after doing so. She gently patted his hair.

"You'll be ok," she said, continuing to pet his hair. He laid his head on her shoulder.

He kept drifting in-and-out of consciousness, and she wished more than anything that Batman would get here faster. Robin needed help.

"Robin!" Batman said, running up to them once he arrived. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she said, her voice shaking. "We were working on the mission, then his communications went dead. When I was able to finally get in, I found him like this."

"Bru-ce?" he muttered, and Batman carefully picked him up, wincing slightly when the young boy cried out in pain.

"Spoiler, go home," Batman ordered, turning his head towards her.

"I want to go with him!" she cried, running up to Batman.

"Alfred needs to exam him, and you can't find out his identity. I promise you, you can see him once he's better."

He carefully put Robin in the car, before getting in the driver's seat. Spoiler watched, both in anger and fear, as the Batmobile drove off.

Oh, no.

Grabbing Robin's bike, she quickly put the key into the ignition, driving back to the Batcave. Batman was carefully getting Robin out of the car. She made herself careful not to be seen.

"Bruce? What happened?" Dick said, running into the cave once he got the news.

"Tim was attacked tonight," he replied, helping Alfred remove Tim's suit.

"By who?"

"Spoiler doesn't know. She went looking for Robin after he comms went quiet. She found him like this, and called for me."

"We were talking before the communications went off," she said, coming out of the shadows. Both of them turned around and spotted her, mask off with tears on her face.

"I told you go to home. Not to follow me back to the cave."

"I told you I am following him."

"Let her stay, Bruce," Dick said. "She just wants to make sure he's going to be ok."

"She can't find out Robin's identity."

"We'll keep his mask on and won't say his name, but she has a right to be here, too."

"Fine," Bruce agreed. "Is there anything else you can tell us, Stephanie?"

"Before he passed out, he kept saying Ja, like he was trying to say a name."

Dick and Bruce both turned to look at each other. "Jason."

"Wait, Jason? As in Jason Todd?"

"He's back," Bruce said, walking over to Robin's bedside. "He attacked Dick, Barbara and I yesterday. He must have found him."

"How did he come back? How is that even possible?" Stephanie asked in disbelief.

"I have a theory," Bruce said, rubbing his face.

"What is it?" Stephanie asked. Dick sat next to her.

"We've told you about Ra's al Ghul. We don't know how old he is, but we're going to assume he's centuries old."

"Centuries?"

"Yeah. There's a way he does this. He takes a swim in something called a Lazarus Pit. If he dies, it brings him back to life. He uses it to prolong his life. If he dumped Jason in it, then it would have brought Jason back to life."

"The pit drives people to insanity," Bruce chimed in. "With Jason's injuries he sustained from Joker, I could only imagine what the pit would have done to him."

"Why is he attacking everyone?" she asked, confusion filling her face.

"He blames me for what happened to him," Bruce continued on, "and for not killing Joker as a result. As for Robin, I would assume he wasn't happy that he was replaced."

"So he beat him for it?" she cried out, standing up.

"Jason needs help. He's been with the League for too long now."

"There's no way he's going to let us help him," Dick said.

"First, I need to talk to someone," Bruce said. "Then, we'll deal with Jason."

* * *

Barbara laid on her bed, her phone hovering above her head as she scrolled through it. She had been hesitating with herself about Dick. It had been a while since she had talked to him after Jason's departure.

She felt a little bad. She knew Dick was trying to help.

As her thoughts continued to plague her mind, her phone started to ring. Looking at the name that came across, she guessed she knew her answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Babs."

"Hi, Dick," she said back, unsure of what to say to him.

"Are you still mad?"

"A little."

"Look, um, I'm sorry. We can talk about it later, but, something's come up."

"What is it?" she asked, worry in her voice.

"Jason attacked Tim, Babs. Tim's in bad shape."

"My God," she whispered, collapsing onto the bed.

"He's here at the cave now. Stephanie's here, too. I'll explain everything when you get here, if you can."

"Y-yes. I'm on my way."

"See you soon."

She hung up the phone, and her heart was pounding in her chest. She immediately grabbed for her jacket and left the apartment, hoping that Tim would be ok.

* * *

Dick hung up the phone, letting out a soft sigh as he did so. He then turned back to Stephanie, who was softly rubbing Robin's hand.

"You ok?" he asked her, sitting down next to her. She nodded.

"Robin will be ok, right?"

"He'll be just fine," he told her. "He's going to be sore for a little while. The broken arm and ribs, well, are going to take longer."

She sighed, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Now I know how you felt when Barbara was injured."

He looked down at her. "You really care about him, don't you? More than a crush?"

She blushed, and he smiled softly. Exactly like him and Barbara before they started going out.

"You better not say anything," she muttered.

"How can I not? My little brother has got himself a girlfriend."

"Shut up!" she cried, pushing him away. He laughed. "I don't even know his name."

He looked down. "I know Robin. Have most of our lives. There's a part of him that wants to tell you."

"Do you think he will?"

"I do," he said, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

They sat in silence until a bike roared into the cave. Turning around, they spotted Barbara pulling in.

"Oh my God," she whispered, pulling her helmet off once she saw Robin. "Is he ok?"

"Pretty injured, but he's doing good," Dick replied, standing up to greet her. She ran over to the bed.

"I can't believe he did this," she said, placing her hand on Robin's arm. "What happened to Jason?"

"We'll find him," Dick reassured her. "We'll bring him home."

"So, what happened?"

"Robin and I were out on a mission," Stephanie said quietly. "We split up. We were talking through communications when it went silent. I went to look for him, and found him like this. I don't know who did it, but all he could say was Ja."

"Jason," she whispered again, softly rubbing Robin's arm.

"I didn't know Jason, but would he ever have done something like this?" Stephanie asked, placing her hand on Robin's head.

"No," they replied together.

"Jason had a lot of anger issues," Barbara said, looking down. "We were working with him on it, and he was getting better for a while. The only time he ever attacked us was when he was being controlled."

They all fell silent, and Stephanie continued to rub Robin's head, earning a soft moan from the injured boy as a result.

"Excuse me," Dick said, standing up. Barbara followed after him.

"Hey," she said, grabbing for a water bottle.

"Hey, Babs."

"I'm sorry," she said, looking down. "You were right. Jason-I don't think he can be reasoned with."

"He just needs help," he said, placing his hands on her shoulder. "We'll fine him, baby, and we'll bring him home."

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. His moved around her waist, and he pressed a kiss to her head.

* * *

Robin started moaning, and she lifted her head up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She looked down at him, watching as he let out a small breath and opened his eyes. He blinked for a few times to get used to the light before he turned to look at her.

"Hi, handsome," she said, gently placing her hand on his cheek.

"Stephanie?" he croaked out.

"I'm here, Robin," she said, smiling softly at him. "Dick's here, too, but he's upstairs. Barbara had to go home."

"What happened?" he asked, trying to sit up in the bed but failing.

"Careful!" she said, helping him up. "You have some broken ribs."

"That explains a lot."

"We were hoping you could tell us what happened. We went out on the mission together, then I lost contact with you. Then I found you."

"Jason," he whispered, as if just remembering. "It was Jason. He set a trap for me."

"We were afraid of that," she replied, sitting on the side of his bed. "Bruce went to confront someone named Talia. He said she was in the city."

"He's going after Talia?!" Robin asked, trying to stand up. She put her hand on his chest.

"You need to rest. Bruce knows what he's doing."

"You don't understand. Talia and her father have been going after Bruce since the beginning. Dick and I are pretty sure he and Talia have dated. She has a hold over him."

"I'm sure he'll be ok," she said, grabbing hold of his hand. "You need rest. If he needs help, Dick will go."

He sighed, throwing his head back on the pillow. "I can't believe this happened."

"We had no idea of knowing. Don't be mad at yourself."

"Steph?" he asked, and she nodded, looking down at him. "Thanks for staying."

"I wouldn't leave you," she whispered, running her thumb back and forth on his hand.

"I've been lying to you."

"About?" she asked in confusion.

"Myself."

"You don't have to-"

"No," he interrupted. "Steph, I'm really sorry. I haven't been truthful with you. When I became Robin, I asked Bruce, Dick and Barbara to keep my identity a secret because I have a lot to lose. Then you came into the picture, and for some reason, I just want to tell you everything."

"You don't have to. I understand."

"You seem to care about me, even when I've been so cold to you. You stayed here with me all night. Thank you."

"I just want to make sure you're ok."

"I'll be better soon," he replied, gesturing to his broken arm.

"Can I sign it?"

He chuckled. "Sure."

She grabbed for a sharpie and wrote "Get better soon, cutie. Love Stephanie."

"Cutie? Really?"

"Yup," she replied, closing the cap. He playfully rolled his eyes. "Do you want anything?"

"I'll get some water," he said, starting to get up. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Stop moving. You need rest. I'll get you some water. Alfred might have medicine for you to take anyway."

"Thanks," he said, laying back down.

"You're welcome," she replied, throwing him a smile. She started to walk away.

"Stephanie?"

"Yeah?"

"It's Tim."

"What?" she asked, turning back around to face him.

"Dick and Barbara have told me you've been wondering about my name. It's Tim Drake. I live right next door."

"Tim?" she whispered, sitting back down on his bed.

"Stephanie," he replied, taking his domino mask off. She saw his radiant blue eyes for the first time.

"You didn't have to do this," she whispered, getting lost in his eyes.

"I wanted to," he whispered back, looking at her.

He carefully leaned forward and pressed their lips together, not knowing what was causing him to do so. He just wanted to kiss her.

Tim and Stephanie. Robin and Spoiler.

* * *

Batman stood patiently, waiting for his guest to arrive. Leaving Robin with Alfred and Spoiler in the cave, he sent a message out, knowing that she would get it.

He received a message back, telling him to meet her on this rooftop at midnight.

"Hello, Beloved," Talia said, walking up to him. "I'm surprised to have gotten a message from you."

"I think you know what this is about," he replied, his voice stern. She tilted her head at him.

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"Stop playing games, Talia. What happened to Jason?"

"I see," she said, turning away from him. "Jason returned to Gotham, did he?"

"What did you do?" he asked, anger rising in his voice.

"I did what I thought was right."

"You didn't!" he hissed, grabbing her shoulders to turn her around. "You threw him in the Lazarus Pit?!"

"I did what I thought was right," she repeated. "I brought your son back."

He turned around, his hands clenched into fists. She took a deep breath, but stood her ground, waiting for the response she knew was sure to come.

"How did you get his body out of the coffin?"

"It was never there, Bruce," she said, looking up at him. "As soon as we got word of what happened, I come straight to Gotham, and took him back."

"Not only did you throw him in the pit, but you trained him to be an assassin?" She didn't reply, and the anger grew in him. "Answer me, Talia!"

"After I revived Jason, once he was healed and strong again, I sent him to be trained by the All-Caste. He spent a year there, training as hard as he could. He spent some time with the League of Assassins as well, but he left. Apparently, he decided to return home."

"He tried to kill me, Talia. He beat Robin nearly to death."

"I know," she whispered, dropping her head. "He blames you for what happened to him, and for not killing Joker as a response."

"Do you know where he is?" he demanded, and she shook her head.

"I haven't heard from him since he left the League. I don't know where he is."

He wiped his face, and she continued to stand her ground.

"I don't want to see you in Gotham again," he growled, turning away from her. He then jumped off the building and swung away, his body trembling in anger.

"You can come out now," Talia said, a moment later. "He's gone."

A man emerged from the shadows, his domino mask covering his eyes. He walked up to her and stood by her side, running his hand through his black hair with the white streak.

"We have some work to do," she said, both watching where Batman disappeared from. "A lot of work."


End file.
